Red Bull Unveils 2026 Driver Lineups with Hadjar, Lindblad

Red Bull has unveiled its driver lineups for the 2026 Formula 1 season, promoting Isack Hadjar to partner Max Verstappen at the senior team while handing 18-year-old Arvid Lindblad a rookie seat at Racing Bulls alongside Liam Lawson. The moves, announced after the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, mark the final selections influenced by outgoing motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, who stepped down after more than two decades with the organization.

Hadjar, a 21-year-old Frenchman who joined the Red Bull junior program in 2021, impressed in his rookie year with Racing Bulls, securing a maiden podium at the Dutch Grand Prix. His promotion fills the vacancy left by Lawson, who shifts back to Racing Bulls after a brief stint at Red Bull. Lindblad, a British talent in the program since he was 13, becomes the grid's sole newcomer, racing under number 41. He finished sixth in the 2025 Formula 2 championship with three wins and two additional podiums, accumulating 134 points. The lineup confirms Verstappen's switch to number 3, with Lando Norris inheriting the number 1 as the reigning drivers' champion after edging Verstappen by two points in 2025.

Marko's departure, effective at the end of 2025,...