Red Bull Racing will pair Max Verstappen with a new driver next year, with Izak Hajar replacing Hiroki Tsunoda.
Published December 2, 2025
Isaac Hajjar will replace Hiroki Tsunoda as Max Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate next season, while Arvid Lindblad will join Liam Lawson at the Racing Bulls, the Formula One (F1) team announced on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old Frenchman made a big impression in his debut season with sister team Racing Bulls, scoring his first podium with a third place at the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August.
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British-born Lindblad, who also has Swedish and Indian heritage through his mother, stepped up from F2 to partner Lawson and will be the only rookie on the 2026 grid.
With Tsunoda’s departure, there will be no Japanese drivers on the starting grid in F1. Red Bull announced that the player will remain with the team as a reserve.
Hajar becomes the third driver to fill the second seat at Red Bull Racing in the past 12 months.
Lawson was named as Sergio Perez’s replacement in December. The New Zealander then replaced Tsunoda in March after the opening two races of 2025.
Verstappen will fight for his fifth consecutive World Drivers’ title at the final race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, on Sunday.
