Yesterday at 07:25
There are still six seats yet to be allocated for the 2026 F1
season. Mercedes is yet to make an official announcement, however
it is widely expected that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will
continue with the team. One drive is secured at Red Bull, as Max
Verstappen committed his 2026 campaign to the Milton Keynes-based
squad, ending rife speculation over a potential exit. But the
identity of his team-mate has not yet been formalised, and at the
Red Bull family, there are four drivers fighting for three seats.
Yuki Tsunoda was promoted to Red Bull early this season, but has
been struggling for form since jumping behind the RB21, with
point-scoring results a rarity. Tsunoda is no doubt in danger of
losing his seat, especially considering the strong performances of
rookie Isack Hadjar at the sister Racing Bulls team. Even before
his impressive maiden podium finish at Zandvoort earlier this year,
the Frenchman was being linked with promotion to Red Bull. Team
advisor Helmut Marko, who manages the team's famous driver
programme, is known to be a big fan of the 20-year-old, who is now
favoured to be Verstappen's team-mate next year. Racing Bulls But a
final decision has not yet been made, and it does not appear likely
to come until October. Should Hadjar be promoted, two seats remain
open at Racing Bulls. Up to now, the general view was that Tsunoda
would leave the Red Bull family if he lost his seat, but even that
is not certain. The Japanese driver could also be moved back to
Racing Bulls, where Lawson is also now driving. The situation
largely revolves around Arvid Lindblad, Red Bull's next-in-line
talent, competing in Formula 2. The Briton is on course to be
promoted, but within Red Bull, there are some doubts. Lindblad is
experiencing a mixed debut season in F2 and is also alleged to have
crashed recently at a TPC test from Monza. Additionally, the
regulations will be changed next year which could make it extra
difficult for rookies. In spite of this, Marko in particular seems
to want to give Lindblad a chance, which would be at the expense of
Lawson or Tsunoda. Lawson is slowly starting to perform better
after his abrupt demotion from Red Bull earlier this year, while
for Tsunoda, it remains to be seen whether Red Bull wish to keep
hold of him in their driver pool. Tsunoda has also had some mild
interest from Alpine, another team that is yet to confirm its
second seat for 2026. Red Bull's puzzle is slowly being put
together, and the pieces should be in place well before the season
comes to a conclusion in December.
