F1 2026: Who will grab the last driving seats?
Racing Bulls are one of two teams yet to confirm their driver line-ups for the 2026 Formula One season, with sister outfit Red Bull Racing being the other team.
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 the matter until December.
Here, we take a look at three drivers who can grab the last remaining seats on the grid for the 2026 Formula One 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 seventh in the Drivers’ standings, with wins in Jeddah and Barcelona.
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 Brit a prime candidate, positioning him as the likely “next big thing” in their driver pipeline and 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 P5 finish in Baku and a strong P7 in Brazil, showcasing the peak performance Red Bull expects from its juniors. Moreover, despite racing in much slower machinery, the Kiwi sits eight points clear of Yuki Tsunoda in the Drivers’ standings, with Tsunoda 17th on just 28 points.
Lawson’s calm demeanour and ability to extract immediate performance in varying conditions will be critical for the major regulation changes in 2026, which makes him the high-ceiling option that aligns with Racing Bulls’ mission to cultivate future champions for Red Bull Racing.
#1 Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing
Following his maiden championship in 2021, Verstappen signed his current deal, which runs until the end of 2028, making it clear that everything at Red Bull is built around him.
This has had a knock-on effect in terms of who partners him, though, with Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Pérez, 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 earlier this year after four years at VCARB, but he too has faced similar struggles with the difficult-to-drive RB21. While Verstappen is third in the Drivers’ standings and mounting a late title charge, the 25-year-old is 17th with just 28 points, and it appears as though the writing is already on the wall for his F1 career.
As a result, Isack Hadjar is reportedly the frontrunner for the second Red Bull Racing seat for next year, primarily due to his superior performances compared to Tsunoda in his debut season at Racing Bulls.
The Franco-Algerian’s ascent, highlighted by a maiden podium at the Dutch Grand Prix this year and a significantly higher points tally than his teammate, showcases the raw speed and mental fortitude that Red Bull’s management (including Marko) is known to value.
With Honda also moving on to partner Aston Martin from next year onwards, Tsunoda’s inconsistent point-scoring record has unfortunately left him vulnerable, making Hadjar’s strong progression too compelling for Red Bull Racing to ignore as they shape their future line-up.
