Red Bull Hands 2026 Seat to Hadjar as Tsunoda Shifts to Test Role

Overview

• Tsunoda will serve as Red Bull’s test and reserve driver in 2026, removing him from the race grid for the first year of the new power unit era.
• Rookie Isack Hadjar steps up to partner Max Verstappen after an impressive 2025 campaign that included a Dutch Grand Prix podium.
• Tsunoda says he was surprised by how the decision was communicated after the Qatar race but insists his motivation for 2026 is enormous.
• The Japanese driver scored 33 points across 22 rounds in 2025, a return that intensified scrutiny over his long‑term place at Red Bull.
• Liam Lawson retains a Racing Bulls contract for 2026 as team leadership frames the reshuffle as part of a longer development plan.