Isack Hadjar is the next F1 driver to be sentenced as a teammate of Max Verstappen: Jalopnik

With the F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend, the final pieces are falling into place for the 2026 driver field. Red Bull Racing has announced this that Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar will replace Yuki Tsunoda next season. The 21-year-old becomes Max Verstappen’s seventh teammate in the past nine seasons. The chaotic course in second place in the senior team is even more evident when you consider that Sergio Pérez was alongside Verstappen in four of those nine seasons.

Hadjar’s potential in top-level machinery could not be ignored during his rookie F1 season. It was striking that he made a very difficult debut after crashing during the formation lap before the Australian Grand Prix. Hadjar acclimatized, became a frequent points scorer and secured his first podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix. He will beat both of his teammates in the championship this season, Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson.

Tsunoda always fought an uphill battle to keep his racing seat at Red Bull. The Japanese driver was a product of the Honda Formula Dream Project and his adoption by the energy drink giant was the result of a now-terminated power unit agreement. He was also initially passed over for Lawson before the New Zealander’s disastrous spell with the senior team forced an early-season change. Tsunoda will now be the team’s reserve and test driver next season.

Red Bull has the luxury of four racing seats to manage its roster. When a diamond in the rough is spotted in karting or the junior team, it usually sparks a bidding war and open F1 seats are worth more than gold. For example, Red Bull convinced Verstappen to sign with his team over Mercedes. The German factory team ensured this would not happen again by placing Antonelli in one of its racing seats on his debut. Previous Mercedes prospects, George Russell and Pascal Wehrlein, spent time at Williams on Mercedes’ dime. Although Russell was eventually promoted, Wehrlein never was. Only time will tell if Lindblad will be the next Verstappen.