F1 Driver Market: Who Will Grab The Last Seats For The 2026 Season?
Racing Bulls is one of two teams yet to confirm their driver line-ups for the 2026 F1 campaign, with sister outfit Red Bull Racing being the other guilty party. Helmut Marko previously said that the organisation was aiming to confirm both pairings by the end of October, but Max Verstappen’s unexpected late title challenge caused Red Bull to delay it until December.
So, with that in mind, today, we take a look at the three drivers who can grab these last remaining seats for the F1 2026 season –
#3 Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls
Whispers coming from the Red Bull camp strongly suggest that Arvid Lindblad is poised to secure a seat at Racing Bulls for the 2026 season, primarily due to his meteoric rise through the junior ranks.
Lindblad has impressed key figures like Helmut Marko with his exceptional talent, maturity, and rapid adaptation, underlined by an early FIA Super Licence grant and positive Formula 1 Free Practice outings. In his debut season in the F2 category, the young 18-year-old is sitting in seventh in the Driver’s Championship standing, with win in Jeddah (sprint) and Catalunya (feature).
Red Bull’s philosophy of fast-tracking their brightest prospects into their junior team – especially ahead of the significant 2026 regulation change – makes the young Briton a prime candidate, positioning him as the likely “next big thing” in their driver pipeline, potentially displacing Yuki Tsunoda.
#2 Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls
Leaning on the Red Bull philosophy of prioritising sheer potential and aggressive development, Racing Bulls will likely persist with Liam Lawson for the 2026 season due to his compelling blend of raw speed, adaptability, and clear future potential.
Despite a tumultuous 2025 season that included a demotion from the senior team, Lawson has consistently delivered standout moments, such as his career-best fifth-place finish in Baku and a strong seventh place in Brazil, showcasing the peak performance Red Bull expects from its juniors. Moreover, despite racing in a much slower machinery, the Kiwi sits eight points clear of Yuki Tsunoda in the Driver’s standings – who sits in 17th with just 28 points.
Thus, his calm demeanor and ability to extract immediate performance in varying conditions – a critical trait for the major regulation change in 2026 – makes him the high-ceiling option that aligns with the team’s mission to cultivate future champions for the main Red Bull Racing squad.
#1 Isaac Hadjar | Red Bull Racing
Following his maiden championship in 2021, Verstappen signed his current deal which takes him until the end of 2028 with it clear that everything at Red Bull is built around him.
That has had a knock-on effect regarding his team-mates though, with Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson and now Yuki Tsunoda all having struggled since Daniel Ricciardo’s shock departure at the end of 2018.
Tsunoda was promoted as Lawson’s replacement from round three onwards of the 2025 season after four years at the sister team, but has faced similar struggles with the difficult-to-drive RB21. The 25-year-old is 17th in the championship – while Verstappen is third – with just 28 points and it appears as though the writing is on the wall for Tsunoda’s F1 career.
As a result, Isack Hadjar is reportedly the frontrunner for the second Red Bull Racing seat in 2026, primarily due to his superior performance relative to Yuki Tsunoda during his debut season at the sister team, Racing Bulls.
The French driver’s ascent, highlighted by a maiden podium at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix and a significantly higher points tally than his teammate, showcases the raw speed and mental fortitude that Red Bull’s management, including advisor Helmut Marko, is known to value.
Moreover, with Honda moving on to partner Aston Martin from 2026 onwards, Tsunoda’s inconsistent point-scoring record has unfortunately left him vulnerable, making Hadjar’s strong progression too compelling for the team to ignore as they shape their future line-up.
