Red Bull weighs 2026 driver reshuffle with Hadjar ahead of Tsunoda

Red Bull Racing is weighing a major reshuffle of its driver lineup for 2026, with 20 year old Isack Hadjar emerging as the leading candidate to partner Max Verstappen while incumbent Yuki Tsunoda faces growing pressure to save his place. Team officials and pundits say no final decision has been taken, and Red Bull has told drivers it will wait until later in the season before confirming appointments for the new regulatory cycle next year.

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has singled out Hadjar for praise, telling Kleine Zeitung that the French rookie has the mental strength to cope alongside Verstappen and rarely makes mistakes. Hadjar, promoted this year to the Racing Bulls seat, has impressed with consistent points finishes and a maiden podium at Zandvoort, and sits inside the top 10 of the drivers standings with about 38 points. Team principal Laurent Mekies, who ran Racing Bulls before moving to Red Bull Racing, said at Monza the group is in no rush and that no changes are planned during the 2025 season.

Hadjar himself has acknowledged both the attraction and the risk of a Red Bull promotion. Speaking on French television programme Clique he said the prospect "scares me,...