Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
Red Bull Racing have announced that Isack Hadjar will replace Yuki Tsunoda for the 2026 Formula 1 season, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the best candidate for the job.
The Formula 1 driver market hasn’t been very active this year, and there will only be one rookie on the grid next season.
Racing Bulls confirmed Arvid Lindblad would be stepping into Hadjar’s seat, with Liam Lawson and Max Verstappen retained by their current teams.
Who is going to win the 2025 Formula 1 drivers’ championship?
All eyes are going to be on how competitive Red Bull’s car is in 2026, and how Hadjar copes with being Verstappen’s teammate after just one season in Formula 1.
Former McLaren mechanic and pundit, Marc Priestley, was reflecting on the Red Bull situation after the Qatar Grand Prix.
He thinks that Williams driver Carlos Sainz would have been the perfect candidate to partner Verstappen, but he’s currently too ‘happy’ in his situation to want to leave.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links
Carlos Sainz is too ‘happy’ to want to join Red Bull from Williams
Priestley was speaking on the Chequered Flag Podcast after Sainz’s second Grand Prix podium of the campaign.
It was a remarkable drive from the Spaniard, who has now broken into the top 10 in the drivers’ championship.
He said: “Just going back to Carlos Sainz, I think he will desperately be hoping, as will everyone at Williams, that they are making such good strides in the background ahead of what they see as a massive opportunity in 2026.
“The team have been rebuilding internally in lots of different ways. The results on track are really just a little small reflection of that.
“But behind the scenes, there’s a lot more going on that we’re not seeing. And they genuinely see the ruleset change as an opportunity to potentially catapult them all the way up.
Finish the sentence: In 2026, Carlos Sainz will finish ____ in the championship with Williams
“I thought it was interesting in that race. It was obviously great for Carlos Sainz. But where did he come from? None of us saw it happening.
“We were so intently focused on the championship battle that no one really looked further back than the two McLarens and a Max Verstappen in a Red Bull. And all of a sudden, there’s a blue car on the podium, and it’s not Max.”
Commentator Harry Benjamin pondered: “Could he be a Red Bull driver in the future, Carlos Sainz? They thought they had the chance once to sign him.”
Priestley replied: “They could, but do you know what? He might be quite happy being a Williams driver in the future.”
READ MORE: Williams star Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height
Carlos Sainz already on ‘top’ Formula 1 teams’ radars after 2025 improvement
Sainz went on a run of six Grand Prix without a point after finishing 10th at the Canadian Grand Prix, although he did snag P6 in the Sprint Race in Belgium.
The 31-year-old’s podium in Baku ended that run, and he’s now within nine points of teammate Alex Albon, who himself is going through his most difficult period of the season.
🔢 Rank Max Verstappen’s five teammates since Daniel Ricciardo
It’s believed that plenty of top teams are looking at Sainz as an option for 2027 if Williams’ car isn’t competitive.
Team principal James Vowles appears to be quietly confident about next season and the sport’s regulation changes.
However, much of that confidence comes from having an incredibly strong midfield driver line-up, and keeping Sainz happy, as Priestley has noticed, should help him retain the Spanish race winner.
Receive exclusive F1 news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
