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Isack Hadjar moves to Red Bull for F1 2026, Arvid Lindblad at Racing Bulls
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Is Red Bull right to sign Isack Hadjar for F1 2026 as Arvid Lindblad joins Racing Bulls?
Isack Hadjar will join Max Verstappen at Red Bull after a promising maiden F1 campaign at Racing Bulls, while Tsunoda competed with rookie Arvid Lindblad at the Faenza-based team but lost out to starter Liam Lawson.
Tsunoda was not helped by his dismal 2025 campaign, having replaced Lawson at Red Bull after the first two grands prix, so the New Zealander’s initial form was catastrophic. The Japanese driver was vastly outclassed by Verstappen in both qualifying and the race, to the point that he scored just 30 points at Red Bull, while the Dutchman faces a three-way showdown for the title with a total of 396.
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“Yuki has raced in Red Bull colors for seven years and I have had the pleasure of working with him on both Red Bull teams,” Mekies said. “Throughout his five seasons so far in Formula 1, Yuki has matured into a complete racer, good on a single lap on Saturday and capable of exceptional starts and excellent racing craft on Sunday.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team, Laurent Mekies, Alpine
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team, Laurent Mekies, Alpine
The wording is important here. Tsunoda is “capable” of the aforementioned racing feats. In other words, Mekies is aware of this immense potential, but his driver’s performance has not always been at that level.
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Mekies’ somewhat more reluctant acknowledgment of Tsunoda’s one-lap pace – simply “good” – comes when he is 25-1 down on Verstappen in qualifying, which translates to 21-0 in non-sprint sessions.
Consequently, describing Tsunoda as a “complete runner” becomes contradictory.
“Everyone in the sport would agree that it is impossible not to like Yuki, his personality is contagious and he has become a very special part of the Red Bull family,” added the Frenchman. “On behalf of everyone at Red Bull, I thank you for what you have contributed so far and we know you will provide invaluable support as the 2026 projects move forward.”
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