Red Bull Confirms Lindblad for 2026 F1 Seat, Hadjar to Racing Bulls
Abu Dhabi, UAE – Red Bull Racing has announced that 18-year-old Arvid Lindblad will join the Formula 1 grid in 2026 with their second team, Racing Bulls, while Isack Hadjar will also race for the squad. The move solidifies Red Bull’s commitment to it’s young driver program and provides a clear pathway for emerging talent.
The decision comes as Red Bull continues to strategically build its future driver lineup. Lindblad, who has been closely monitored by Red Bull as the age of 12, has demonstrated exceptional potential throughout the junior formulas. Hadjar, previously a Red Bull junior driver, will partner lindblad at Racing bulls.
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko revealed the team has been preparing Lindblad for a potential F1 debut since last year, outlining a program designed to secure the necessary points for a superlicence. “He looks really promising,” Marko said of Lindblad, praising his “pure speed.” Lindblad has already gained valuable experience with two Formula 1 practice sessions this year,at the British and Mexico city Grands Prix.
Marko highlighted Lindblad’s remarkable racecraft, recalling a Formula 3 race at Silverstone in 2024 where he “overtook, in one lap, I don’t know, 10 or 14 other drivers” to win from last place in challenging, mixed conditions. he also noted an early impression from a meeting in Portimao, Portugal, stating, “It was Arvid who was leading the conversation, with 12 years (of age) or so. So that also was something which is not normal.” Marko added, “But he had a clear vision and a clear way how to achieve it. And since then he moved steadily forward.”
Lindblad currently competes in Formula 2,where he has secured two race wins this season and sits sixth in the championship heading into the final round in Abu Dhabi. the young driver, born and raised in virginia Water, Surrey, is managed by Britain’s Formula E world champion Oliver Rowland.
