Official Confirmation of Red Bull’s 2026 Line-up

The French driver steps up from Racing Bulls, Red Bull’s sister team, where he made his F1 debut in 2025 and quickly emerged as one of the standout rookies on the grid.

Hadjar’s Road from Junior Talent to Race Seat

Hadjar’s promotion crowns a rapid rise through the Red Bull Junior Team after success in Formula 3 and Formula 2, followed by an impressive first F1 season. In 2025 he claimed multiple points finishes and a breakthrough podium at Zandvoort, consistently outperforming expectations.

Red Bull’s management, including Helmut Marko, has long highlighted Hadjar’s pace, racecraft, and technical feedback as key reasons for viewing him as a future race winner. His move mirrors the pathway previously taken by drivers like Verstappen and Gasly.

Verstappen–Hadjar: New-Era Pairing

From 2026, Verstappen and Hadjar will lead Red Bull into the brand-new regulation cycle with its own in-house Red Bull Powertrains Ford engine. The team sees the experienced multi‑world champion alongside a hungry young teammate as an ideal blend.

The announcement confirms Red Bull’s intent to keep its core structure stable around Verstappen while refreshing its second seat with long‑term potential rather than a short‑term stopgap.

Implications for Racing Bulls and Tsunoda

Hadjar’s promotion triggers a reshuffle at Racing Bulls, where highly rated junior Arvid Lindblad will step up to a full-time F1 seat alongside Liam Lawson in 2026. Yuki Tsunoda loses his race drive but is set to remain within the Red Bull–Honda orbit in a testing role linked to Honda’s TPC programme.

Hadjar’s Reaction

Hadjar described the promotion as a “dream opportunity” and thanked both Racing Bulls and Red Bull for trusting him. He acknowledged the challenge of going up against Verstappen in identical machinery, framing it as the best possible environment to learn and grow.