There are signs of a possible major revolution within the Red Bull teams, as the 2026 driver market heats up. Rumors circulating in recent hours suggest that the lineup could undergo significant changes, potentially reshaping the future of several current drivers to make room for young talents “poached” from rival teams’ academies. Here’s everything happening behind the scenes.
For now, the only confirmed driver—at least on paper—is reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who has a contract with the Milton Keynes-based team through the next season. However, uncertainty remains due to Max Verstappen himself, who may be considering other options after growing weary of the Red Bull environment.
The seat alongside him is still wide open. Yuki Tsunoda recently delivered his best performance since joining the official Red Bull team, demonstrating impressive skills both in defending and attacking rivals. But is this enough for Helmut Marko to retain him? Probably not. Since Tsunoda switched teams, he has scored just 14 points in Japan, highlighting inconsistency in results.
Everything in the Racing Bulls program will follow accordingly. Should Tsunoda depart, Isack Hadjar is expected to step up to Red Bull, while Liam Lawson could pair with Formula 2 driver Arvid Lindblad. However, information from PlanetF1 suggests this scenario could change completely. Helmut Marko has reportedly shown interest in McLaren Academy Formula 2 driver Alex Dunne, with in-person meetings already held earlier this month between Red Bull representatives and the Irish driver’s agents.
Even Ralf Schumacher reinforced this theory on the Backstage Pit Lane podcast, suggesting a potential lineup shake-up: Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson out of Formula 1, Isack Hadjar in Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen, and Arvid Lindblad and Alex Dunne in Racing Bulls. Before anything can proceed, McLaren’s decision to release Dunne will be crucial, similar to what happened with Gabriel Bortoleto some time ago.
Leave a Reply