Red Bull postpones decision on driver lineup for 2026 Formula 1 season until Abu Dhabi: Full focus on Max Verstappen’s title fight
Helmut Marko and Laurent Mekies have confirmed that Red Bull is postponing its decision on driver lineups for the 2026 season until around the time of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The title fight with Max Verstappen currently takes priority.
Motorsport advisor Marko had repeatedly referred to the Mexican Grand Prix as a “good reference point” for driver selection in both teams. After Lando Norris’ victory, the Austrian told the Dutch edition of Motorsport.com,
“We have postponed our decision until the end of the season because we want to focus on the championship battle first,” he said. When asked whether the announcement would therefore only be made after the final race, Marko replied: “No, but it will be around Abu Dhabi. The championship is the focus first.”
Why Red Bull is taking its time
Mekies clarified that the announcements will be made before Abu Dhabi, but confirmed the delay compared to the original plan. “We want to take a little more time before making the driver decision. Yuki is making progress, and so are the other young talents,” said Mekies, referring to the Racing Bulls duo Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson. “There’s no reason to rush, so we’re taking our time.”
Red Bull’s relaxed approach is due to the fact that all drivers are formally under contract with Red Bull and are not permanently assigned to any team. This allows the company to recombine the four drivers at any time. Those affected have already been informed of the extended decision-making phase and asked to cooperate.
In addition to focusing on Verstappen’s title chances, the postponement also gives Red Bull the opportunity to gather further data and impressions. “We know that everyone wants a quick decision. But we are not under any time pressure. We are taking the necessary time and giving the drivers the chance to show who the best drivers are on the track,” added Mekies.
Lindblad makes a strong impression
In addition to Tsunoda and the Racing Bulls duo, Arvid Lindblad is also playing a role in the deliberations. The British-Swedish driver completed the first free practice session at the Mexico weekend. According to Red Bull management, he met all expectations.
“I think he did a great job. It’s very difficult to impress in the first practice session because you only have a few tires and a few laps. But he did everything right, was calm, and gave the right feedback. He didn’t make any mistakes and didn’t damage the car,” said Mekies with a laugh about Lindblad, who was sitting in Max Verstappen’s RB21. “He impressed us. We look forward to the next time he gets back in the car towards the end of the year.”
After the Mexico weekend, Verstappen handed over his car twice in free practice, fulfilling his side of the garage’s rookie duties. Tsunoda still has to hand over his car once more, with Lindblad again considered a candidate. At the end of the year, the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi will offer the 18-year-old another opportunity to rack up Formula 1 miles.
Two decisions loom large
Although Marko and Mekies continue to talk about “driver decisions,” a picture is already emerging behind the scenes.
Hadjar is considered the favorite for the Red Bull cockpit alongside Verstappen next year, a decision that is considered almost certain. The same applies to Lindblad at Racing Bulls. Lindblad did not have an easy season in Formula 2, but Red Bull places greater weight on his Formula 1 appearances to date. These have been satisfactory so far. This means that only one seat really seems to be up for grabs.
Tsunoda and Lawson are battling it out for this position. Red Bull is taking more time to make its final decision, which could partly depend on whether Honda takes on a role as Tsunoda’s personal sponsor. The Japanese company will be leaving as the Red Bull team’s engine partner after this season.
The full focus is currently on Verstappen’s title fight against the McLaren duo. A side effect of the postponement is that both Lawson and Tsunoda are being given a little more time to prove themselves.