Red Bull's Second Seat

With the season coming to an end and most of the 2026 grid having been announced, the only seats remaining are at Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls.

(Image credits to @redbullracing on Instagram)

There has been plenty of speculation regarding the remaining seats for next year, with names such as Tsunoda, Hadjar and Lawson, along with Red Bull's Academy driver Lindblad being thrown around. But who will end up in the main team's seat and when will we find out? Previously, there had been discussion of leaving it to the end of the season to see which driver performs best in both Qualifying and the races. 

In 2024, Perez was the second Red Bull driver, scoring the team a total of 152 points and 5 podiums; however, he did not manage to secure a win. This was especially disappointing for the team which was given 9 wins solely from their other driver, Verstappen. This resulted in the Mexican driver being dropped by the team for the 2025 season. He has since been announced to return to the grid with Cadillac for the 2026 season.

Yuki Tsunoda

The driver of number 22 started the season at Racing Bulls, however was soon promoted to Red Bull after three races to replace Liam Lawson as a result of his lack of performance.

As of before the Qatar Grand Prix, Tsunoda has scored 28 points, putting him 17th in the driver championship, 4 points behind Stroll and Ocon. His highest finishing position of the season is 6th in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a highest qualifying result of 5th. 

Tsunoda's season could be described as several flashes of promise but no major breakthroughs. With an average Qualifying position of P11.5 he has limited his chance to score major points with his races being compromised by car performance and team strategy. 

However, his often appearances in the top 10 show he has the ability, speed and capability to score higher points when sitting in the right car for him, with the team behind him.

Isack Hadjar

After crashing on the formation lap of the first race of his career, Hadjar wasn't off to a good start. However, throughout the season he has proved himself to be worthy of the seat. This includes a podium in Zandvoort and, as of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, a total of 51 points and 9th in the Drivers' Championship. Until the Monza Grand Prix in September, Hadjar was the only driver on the grid to not have a Q1 elimination, showing he has incredible skill when it comes to pace, making him a favourite for the second Red Bull seat.

With a rookie season featuring such few errors, many are calling him the rookie of the season. The Frenchman has shown he can finish high in the points, taking home 57% of the points for his team, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (Racing Bulls), the junior team of Red Bull.

Hadjar has an average qualifying position of 9.86, displaying that his pace is there, along with consistently showing skills of good tyre management, overtaking and composure, especially in tricky conditions. 

The Racing Bulls driver's rookie season is setting him up to be a favourite for the Formula 1 title in years to come.

Liam Lawson

Lawson started the season in the second Red Bull seat, however, due to bad performance in the first 3 races, he was demoted to the junior team, Racing Bulls.

As of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Lawson stands at 36 points, putting him both 14th in the Drivers' Championship and three places above the man who replaced him at the start of the season. A large part of the Kiwi’s points is due to consistent finishes in the top 10. In Azerbaijan, Lawson secured his best Qualifying and after a good race, he finished in a career best P5, bringing back key points for the Constructors' Championship. The team currently sits in 6th place, 17 points ahead of Haas.

Throughout the season, the young driver has proven his incredible defence skills, even defending those with greater experience whilst on older tyres, gaining himself the nickname of “Ministry of Defence for New Zealand.”

After a rough start to the season, Lawson has proven himself to be a capable driver, worthy of a seat in Formula 1. However, his fate lies in the hands of team principal Laurent Mekies.

Arvid Lindblad 

Currently, Lindblad drives in Formula 2 as an academy driver for Red Bull, whilst being at the team Campos Racing. At 109 points, he sits 7th in the championship as the competition begins to heat up with only 2 races remaining.

2 months prior to Lindblad turning 18, he was granted his Super Licence by the FIA World Motor Sport Council as a special exemption. This was put in place so that Lindblad could become a possible substitute driver if any drivers from Red Bull or Racing Bulls were unable to participate in a Grand Prix weekend.

During the 2025 season, the British-Swedish driver completed 2 FP1 sessions, one at the British Grand Prix and the other at the Mexico City Grand Prix. 

His debut in Formula 1 at the British Grand Prix saw the academy driver finish P14, with a best time of 1.27.958. Lindblad described the experience as “amazing” and a “dream come true”.  FP1 in Mexico City saw the 18-year-old driver finish in P6, far ahead of those also testing during this session, with a time of 1.18.997.

Lindblad shows great potential with strong results and great speed, however, will his young age stop him from gaining this seat next season even though he already has his Super Licence?

Article written by Skyla Crook