Max Verstappen appears set to acquire yet another new teammate at Red Bull, with Yuki Tsunoda seemingly poised to be released at the end of this season as reports suggest Racing Bulls youngster Isack Hadjar will take his place for 2026.
Tsunoda was drafted in to replace Liam Lawson just two races into the 2025 season after the New Zealander struggled to get to grips with the difficult RB21. However, the Japanese driver has fared little better, managing just nine points from 14 races alongside the four-time world champion.
According to German outlet Auto Motor und Sport, Red Bull has lost faith in Tsunoda and will replace him with 20-year-old Hadjar, who has impressed immensely in his debut Formula 1 season with the team’s sister outfit Racing Bulls.
Revolving Door Continues at Red Bull
The second seat at Red Bull has been a revolving door of drivers ever since Daniel Ricciardo left the team in 2018. Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson and now Tsunoda have all tried and failed to establish themselves alongside Verstappen in what has become the most challenging seat in Formula 1.
Tsunoda looks set to join the lengthy list of drivers whose careers have been derailed by the pressure of racing alongside Verstappen in a car that appears uniquely difficult for anyone but the Dutchman to master.
The Japanese driver’s struggles have been particularly stark when compared to Hadjar’s performances at Racing Bulls. The French rookie currently sits ninth in the Drivers’ Championship with 38 points, including a remarkable maiden podium at the Dutch Grand Prix last month where he finished third.
Hadjar’s Impressive Credentials
That single podium finish at Zandvoort saw Hadjar score more points in one race than both Lawson and Tsunoda have managed combined in the second Red Bull seat throughout the entire 2025 season – a damning statistic that hasn’t gone unnoticed by Red Bull’s management.
Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has been increasingly vocal in his praise of Hadjar, suggesting the youngster possesses the mental strength required to cope with the pressure of racing alongside a four-time world champion.
“We have enough drivers between the driver programmes to cover quite a few scenarios for next year,” Marko told German media recently, hinting at the impending change whilst maintaining Red Bull’s commitment to promoting talent from within its academy system.
Even Hadjar’s current teammate Lawson, who himself harbours ambitions of returning to the senior team, has admitted the Frenchman is ready for the step up.
“It depends on what position the car is in next year, how it is to drive. That’s probably the biggest thing about that seat right now. So there are a lot of variables there,” Lawson said earlier this season.
“As a driver, he’s ready. If you’re ready to be in F1 in the first place, I think you’d be ready for that kind of position.”
Tsunoda’s Dwindling Hopes
For Tsunoda, the writing appears to be on the wall despite new Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies suggesting he’s seen a “positive trend” in recent races. The Japanese driver qualified outside the top 10 at Zandvoort and finished ninth, extending his pointless streak before finally scoring at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Mekies has revealed that Tsunoda’s gap to Verstappen will be the “main parameter” upon which his chances of retaining his seat will be assessed.
“I think we just want to see him continue to progress, continue to close the gap to Max, as that’s the main parameter, and continue to score points, because that’s ultimately what it is about,” Mekies explained.
However, with just eight races remaining in the season and Tsunoda showing little sign of closing that gap, time is rapidly running out for the 24-year-old to save his Red Bull career.
Lindblad Lined Up for Racing Bulls
The report from Auto Motor und Sport also claims that Formula 2 starlet Arvid Lindblad is most likely to replace Hadjar at Racing Bulls should the Frenchman receive his promotion.
Lindblad has been widely tipped as the next big British star in F1, having already impressed during his Formula 2 campaign where he currently sits seventh in the standings with two race wins to his name.
The 17-year-old has already been granted special dispensation for an FIA Super Licence despite being a year younger than regulations typically allow, and impressed during a Free Practice 1 outing at the British Grand Prix earlier this year.
Marko praised the youngster’s performance, saying: “We think the teenager did a great job. His speed was right, his statements were profound and the technicians are very happy with his performance.”
“Lindblad was back in the car the week after the British Grand Prix and completed more than 100 laps, showing excellent physical condition and competitive lap times.”
High Stakes in Baku
With Tsunoda set to take on the streets of Baku for this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, every remaining race represents a crucial opportunity to prove his worth – though the damage may already be done.
Hadjar’s podium in Zandvoort has strengthened his reputation as a driver capable of maximising opportunities when they arise, something that has eluded Tsunoda throughout his difficult stint at Red Bull.
The 2026 season will mark a significant change in Formula 1 with new technical regulations and Red Bull entering a new era with Ford as their power unit partner. It appears increasingly likely that the Milton Keynes team will want fresh blood in the second seat as they embark on this new chapter.
For Tsunoda, whose F1 future now looks uncertain, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and remaining seven races of 2025 may represent his last chance to prove he deserves a place on the grid – even if it’s no longer at Red Bull.
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Image Credit:
Max Verstappen at the 2021 French Grand Prix — photo by Nicolas Tucat / AP, CC BY 4.0 (commons.wikimedia.org)
