F1 ‘insiders’ say Red Bull are only delaying Isack Hadjar’s promotion announcement for one reason

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Red Bull Racing have publicly suggested that they’re still yet to decide their driver line-up for the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Max Verstappen is locked in for next year, and while his contract technically doesn’t expire until the end of the 2028 campaign, team principal Laurent Mekies will be aware he’s not certain to be racing for Red Bull up until that point.

What happens on the other side of the garage is a far more pressing issue for Christian Horner’s replacement.

At the beginning of this season, it appeared as though Horner and Red Bull were backing Liam Lawson to be the academy graduate to compete alongside Verstappen.

Two races later, it was the more experienced Yuki Tsunoda thrust into his place with his debut coming at his home race at Suzuka.

Tsunoda returned to the points at the Dutch Grand Prix after a seven-race pointless streak, but he was upstaged by Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar.

Hadjar was congratulated by Verstappen for finishing on the podium alongside him at Zandvoort, and now it’s believed that the Frenchman has already been privately told that he’ll be promoted alongside the four-time world champion next season.

READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls 2025 F1 driver Isack Hadjar? Everything you need to know

Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull 2026 announcement delayed to protect Yuki Tsunoda

A report from F1 Insider has shared more details about Hadjar’s future after moving into the top 10 in the drivers’ championship.

For context, Tsunoda only sits above Alpine drivers Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto in the standings after 15 race weekends.

Speaking to the website after the race on Sunday, Helmut Marko, who will have a large say in both Red Bull driver line-ups in 2026, said: “He is incredibly tough and can withstand enormous pressure.

“Even fourth place would have been great. But a podium finish is a sensation.

“At first, I always called him ‘little Prost,’ and many people laughed. Now he’s delivered.”

The report goes on to say that Marko very rarely gives out nicknames to drivers, although it’s noted that earlier in his career that he called Verstappen, ‘the new Ayrton Senna’.

That suggests a Prost vs Senna battle could ensue at Red Bull next year, although Hadjar’s going to have to take a serious step up to try and match the Dutchman.

The story suggests that ‘F1 insiders’ have learned that Hadjar has been selected ahead of Tsunoda to race for Red Bull next year.

However, the only reason it’s not been announced is ‘out of consideration’ for Tsunoda, who is expected to complete the season with Red Bull even if he’s set to lose his seat.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents

Yuki Tsunoda has two options to stay on the F1 grid if Red Bull exit is confirmed

The F1 driver market hasn’t been as frenetic as last season, meaning that for drivers at risk of losing their seats, fewer opportunities to stay on the grid have opened up.

Tsunoda was fantastic last season and earned a new contract at the Canadian Grand Prix to stay at Racing Bulls.

That was despite the likes of Haas being interested in signing Tsunoda before he eventually decided to stay within the Red Bull family.

It has been suggested that the most likely scenario is that Tsunoda returns to Racing Bulls in a swap with Hadjar, with Lawson then battling it out with Arvid Lindblad for the other seat.

However, Tsunoda’s management is already eyeing Alpine as the only other team with an open seat that he could realistically fill in 2026.