Jolyon Palmer says it’s ‘really difficult’ to justify one driver being on the 2026 F1 grid

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The Formula 1 driver market is nearing its conclusion at the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull are poised to announce their line-ups after this weekend’s race.

Laurent Mekies has created a tense atmosphere at Red Bull by confirming the timeline. The drivers involved know what’s at stake at the Lusail International Circuit.

But Isack Hadjar appeared very relaxed during Thursday’s media day. The smiling Frenchman simply said ‘I know I’ll be on the grid’ next year and replied ‘who knows?’ when asked where he’ll be racing.

This may be a hint that Hadjar is joining Red Bull, leaving the incumbent Yuki Tsunoda to battle Liam Lawson for a place at Racing Bulls.

Jolyon Palmer says it’s ‘really difficult’ to justify Yuki Tsunoda staying on the F1 grid

With Arvid Lindblad expected to graduate from Formula 2, former Racing Bulls teammates Lawson and Tsunoda are likely going head-to-head for the final seat.

Lawson was dropped from Red Bull after just two races – one of the most brutal driver calls in F1 history – but has performed well back at Faenza, scoring points on six occasions.

Meanwhile, Tsunoda is down in 17th in the championship in a car that may yet win the world title in the hands of Max Verstappen. There’s some sympathy for his plight in the context of the second driver crisis at Red Bull, but Jolyon Palmer says it’s difficult to justify the Japanese driver staying on the grid.

“Tsunoda is out of Red Bull, it’s whether he’s out of Formula 1,” he said on F1’s Weekend Warm-Up show.

“I think he’s under big pressure to be out of the whole sport, actually. His performances have just made it really difficult to justify keeping him, even in the Racing Bulls [team] I think.”

Juan Pablo Montoya says Ayumu Iwasa deserves a Racing Bulls seat

There’s an argument that Red Bull should give Ayumu Iwasa an F1 seat at Racing Bulls, and keep 18-year-old Lindblad in F2 for another year.

Iwasa won this year’s Super Formula title and, like Tsunoda, is linked to Honda. This could be a crucial factor in the driver decision.

While they’re building their own engines next year, Red Bull need access to their Honda-powered F1 cars in order to carry out a TPC programme. According to Juan Pablo Montoya, this makes Iwasa a perfect solution.

“The other Red Bull driver that nobody is talking about is Iwasa, who became Super Formula champion,” Montoya told AS Colombia. “One way for Red Bull to maintain that relationship [with Honda] is by taking Yuki out and bringing in Iwasa, for example.

“If you really look at what Lindblad and Iwasa have done, theoretically, the person they should give the seat to right now should be Iwasa. Politically, I think Lindblad is going to put it together.”