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The Austrian squad has revealed a major reshuffle for the 2026 F1 campaign, moving up Frenchman Isack Hadjar to its senior team and awarding 18-year-old Briton Arvid Lindblad his maiden Formula 1 seat.

Lindblad, who has a Swedish father and a mother of Indian descent, is set to become team-mate to New Zealander Liam Lawson at the junior outfit VCARB.

This reshuffling results in Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda exiting the grid post a half-decade in F1.

The New British Hope

The youngster was tagged as a prodigy by Red Bull from the age of 12 years old.

Talking about the company's young driver programme, a key advisor previously said that Lindblad "looks really promising", highlighting his "pure speed".

The team has been working since last year to ready Lindblad for his likely F1 debut in 2026, including appearances in Grand Prix practice at Silverstone and Mexico City.

Lindblad stated it was a "huge honour", commenting: "2026 will be a big challenge, and I know there's much to understand, but I'm ready to collaborate with the team and rise to it. I am incredibly excited to get started."

Lindblad has taken two races in F2 so far this season and is P6 in the standings heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

The Frenchman's Chance

Hadjar's F1 career started in difficult fashion when he spun out during the warm-up lap of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. However, since then, he has been one of the stand-out rookies of the year.

His performances included an excellent podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he sits in tenth place in the drivers' standings.

A senior team figure commented: "Hadjar has shown great maturity and proved to be a quick learner. Most importantly, he has the raw speed that is the primary necessity in this sport. We believe he can thrive alongside Max."

Hadjar described it "a fantastic step" and said he felt "up for the challenge".

The Lawson Decision

To partner Lindblad at Racing Bulls, Red Bull have preferred Lawson over Tsunoda.

Lawson began the season with the main team but was moved back early in the year. He has settled back in at Racing Bulls with some strong performances, persuading Red Bull he deserves more time.

Tsunoda, meanwhile, loses his place after a difficult season. His highest finish is a sixth place, and he has scored a small fraction of the team's points total.

The driver market moves mean that there is also no spot on the Red Bull programme for Irish driver Alex Dunne, who will continue in F2 next season.