Red Bull confirm Max Verstappen’s 2026 teammate as Racing Bulls decide their next F1 driver line-up

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Red Bull have announced their new driver line-up for the 2026 Formula 1 season ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

It has taken the team months to reach a conclusion about who to put alongside Max Verstappen for the foreseeable future.

Red Bull have struggled to find a solid partner for the four-time champion over the last few years, and it has now resulted in Yuki Tsunoda losing his seat.

Heading into the 2026 F1 regulations, they’ll be making their own power units for the first time ever. It poses a unique challenge for them.

Verstappen has copied a Michael Schumacher trait en route to recovering from a 104-point deficit since the summer break.

Martin Brundle has hailed Verstappen’s ‘mind games’ and believes that he has been playing with his rivals this season. Soon, he might have a competitive teammate to worry about, too.

READ MORE: F1 fans make Helmut Marko demand as Red Bull ‘regret’ Kimi Antonelli Qatar GP comments

Red Bull confirm Isack Hadjar as Arvid Lindblad takes Racing Bulls seat next to Liam Lawson

Helmut Marko made a ‘crazy’ Verstappen prediction that he could still win the title, shortly after Christian Horner was relieved of his duties as team boss in the summer.

At the time, even the Dutchman himself had virtually lost all hope. Now, they’re going to be involved in one of the most thrilling final races of all time.

Ahead of putting all their focus into winning a fifth consecutive drivers’ championship, they have now announced their driver line-up for 2026, alongside Racing Bulls.

Alongside Verstappen, Isack Hadjar has received a promotion to the senior team after just one season, following some excellent rookie performances.

Taking his place at Racing Bulls will be Arvid Lindblad, the Formula 2 driver, who has shown flashes of brilliance.

Liam Lawson retains his seat, which means that Tsunoda will be off the grid for the first time in over five years.

READ MORE: Red Bull saying something about Mercedes ‘for the first time’ ahead of Max Verstappen title decider

Is it too soon to promote Isack Hadjar to Red Bull?

Hadjar has shown a lot of skill during his rookie season, but there are also plenty of areas for him to improve in.

Thrusting him into such a big role so soon into his career could do damage, as it has done for others, but it could also help him thrive.

It worked for the likes of Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, so that will be Red Bull’s argument here. He has scored a podium in a Racing Bulls car, and clearly meets the desired level.

It might actually be the perfect time to promote the Frenchman, considering that he’ll be learning a new car, just like Verstappen. It offers him the chance to really see how he compares in a car made for both of them.