Red Bull Racing have a decision to make on their driver line-up for the 2026 Formula 1 season.
New team principal Laurent Mekies will be pleased that Max Verstappen has signed up for at least one more season, but there are still questions about who will be driving alongside him.
Red Bull have dismissed rumours linking them to Alex Palou, despite his incredible recent record in IndyCar.
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Tsunoda currently holds the seat and returned to the points at the Dutch Grand Prix with a ninth-place finish, overcoming a throttle issue late in the race. Meanwhile, Hadjar grabbed headlines with a podium at Zandvoort, putting him firmly in the conversation for Tsunoda’s spot.
Meanwhile, Hadjar made headlines with his podium at Zandvoort. That performance has put him firmly in the conversation and increased speculation about Tsunoda’s future with Red Bull.
Hadjar is viewed as Red Bull’s top choice if they decide to make a change for 2026, but nothing has been confirmed yet. The team reportedly knows who they want next year’s pairing to be, but it remains unclear whether that line-up will come together.
Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda could stay on as Red Bull’s 2026 lineup
The Race has outlined the situation Yuki Tsunoda is facing at Red Bull as the team heads into the final stretch of the season.
Red Bull didn’t officially part ways with Sergio Perez until after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year, but it was a decision that had been in motion long before it was announced.
Tsunoda reportedly has until the Mexico City Grand Prix to make his case to Laurent Mekies and Helmut Marko that he deserves to stay in the seat for next year.
This adds extra pressure on him over the next four races, and even a strong finish to the season might not be enough to keep Hadjar out of contention.
However, Red Bull’s preferred outcome still seems to be keeping Tsunoda alongside Verstappen for another year.
Despite Hadjar’s potential, giving him another season at Racing Bulls could help him gain valuable experience before stepping up. With major regulation changes coming in 2026, there are no guarantees about how easy or difficult the new car will be to handle.
Keeping Tsunoda in place provides some continuity, especially if he maintains a solid level of performance throughout what remains of this campaign.
Laurent Mekies responds to speculation about Isack Hadjar replacing Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull
After the Dutch Grand Prix, Mekies spoke to the media about next year’s driver line-up, saying: “It’s nine races to go.
“I’m not telling you that we’ll wait until the last race, because also, there is a dynamic by which you want to let your driver know. But we have time.”
Based on how things are shaping up now, it appears more likely that Hadjar will take Tsunoda’s spot, with Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad forming the Racing Bulls pairing in 2026.
The structure of both teams also gives them flexibility. If Red Bull sees value in giving Hadjar and Lindblad a head start with their new roles, changes could come even before this season wraps up.
This puts added significance on the upcoming Italian Grand Prix for Tsunoda. It could be a crucial moment in his efforts to keep his seat for next year.
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