Yuki Tsunoda will not race in Formula 1 next season as Red Bull has chosen to replace him with Isack Hadjar at Red Bull Racing and promote Arvid Lindblad to a Racing Bulls seat.
Red Bull's line-ups for 2026 will be Hadjar alongside Max Verstappen at the senior team and then rookie Lindblad joining the retained Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls.
It leaves Tsunoda without an F1 seat although he will remain involved with Red Bull as a test and reserve driver.
Our verdict on Red Bull's 2026 F1 line-up + Tsunoda's exit
Red Bull has been expected to replace Tsunoda partly because of his inconsistent performances since replacing Lawson at round three of the season but also because of how Hadjar has performed in his rookie season.
Hadjar is 10th in the championship, the second of the four Red Bull drivers after Verstappen, and scored his first F1 podium in the Dutch Grand Prix.
His rapid adaptation to F1, impressive speed at most tracks, even ones that are new to him, and consistent performances have convinced Red Bull that a rapid promotion to the senior team is worthwhile.
It believes that Hadjar is a faster and more capable driver than any of its F1 graduates since Verstappen and that the rules overhaul coming in 2026, which means three pre-season tests, are the perfect time for him to adapt to Red Bull and hit the ground running.
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane said Hadjar has had a "truly outstanding season" and performed "well beyond his experience".
As for Racing Bulls, the decision to retain Lawson was made in part due to Red Bull wanting to promote Lindblad to an F1 seat.
Lawson has done well to rebuild his reputation since being demoted by Red Bull after just two races as Verstappen's team-mate and has been one of the top scorers in the midfield since a car set-up breakthrough at the Austrian Grand Prix in July.
It is felt that he deserves a chance to continue his progress with stability over the winter and then a full season with the same team - having so far only had part-campaigns with the second team in 2023 and 2024, then the disruption of the move to Red Bull and near-instant demotion this year.
Lindblad's promotion is a bit of a risk, given the 18-year-old has rapidly risen through the ranks and has had an inconsistent first year in Formula 2.
But he has convinced Red Bull to give him the chance, especially having impressed in Friday practice outings and private F1 tests this year.
