Yuki Tsunoda not convincing
When Red Bull rejected Liam Lawson after just two race weekends, they opted for Yuki Tsunoda—backed by Honda—hoping he could deliver a decent haul of points for the team. But the “curse of the second seat” at the Anglo-Austrian squad has also struck the Japanese driver, who has scored just 10 points in the first 7 races alongside Max Verstappen.
It’s only natural that Red Bull is now looking internally for 2026, especially given Isack Hadjar’s strong performances with Racing Bulls (currently 9th in the championship with 21 points).
Marko openly praises Isack
For weeks, Helmut Marko has been full of praise for Hadjar, as he again showed recently on Speedweek: “He was very underrated in Formula 2 by the media, who only talked about Gabriel Bortoleto. At the time, Isack won more races and lost 80 points due to technical problems. But it was already clear to me that he was a very fast driver.” These comments cast even darker clouds over Tsunoda’s future, following what Marko had already said in May: “Does Yuki already feel under threat with Hadjar in this form? It’s obvious—unfortunately, Yuki collapses as soon as he’s under pressure.”
Yuki Tsunoda will complete the 2025 Formula 1 season at the wheel of a Red Bull, as the team has already written off the constructors’ title, but his chances of retaining the seat are now slim.
The path for Isack Hadjar’s promotion to Red Bull in 2026 seems increasingly clear. Meanwhile, Tsunoda could follow Honda to Aston Martin as suggested by De Telegraaf’s podcast, potentially taking on the role of third driver.
And then there’s Lindblad
Peter Bayer, CEO of Racing Bulls, told Blick he hopes to keep Hadjar for another year: “Don’t take this talent away from us too soon! He’ll learn all the tricks of the trade only by the end of 2026—until then, we’ll try to handcuff him!” joked the Austrian executive. But Bayer might receive another major Red Bull talent in exchange—17-year-old Arvid Lindblad, currently third in the F2 standings.
“Lindblad is also performing very well in Formula 2,” Helmut Marko noted, adding: “He won the Feature Race in Barcelona, his second victory in his rookie season. If he continues like this, we can expect his move to Formula 1. He’s just 17, but already an extraordinary talent.”
It’s natural to imagine a Racing Bulls seat for him as early as 2026 if Hadjar moves up to Red Bull. Marko has already revealed he asked the World Motor Sport Council for a waiver to grant Lindblad a FIA Super Licence before he turns 18 (on August 8), should Max Verstappen be suspended for a race.
Johnny Herbert, writing for YaySweepstakes, speculated about a direct move from F2 to Red Bull for Lindblad: “When you’re struggling the way Yuki Tsunoda is, you’re always in danger of losing the seat—as already happened to Lawson, Gasly, and Albon. In my opinion, the threat to Yuki Tsunoda is Arvid Lindblad, who has progressed incredibly fast. I know Helmut Marko respects him greatly and sees him as a perfect candidate to replace Tsunoda. Of course, Hadjar has put himself in a great position, but if Lindblad wins F2, Red Bull will want to promote him alongside Max Verstappen. Hadjar is making the decision difficult for Red Bull.”
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