As the 2026 Formula 1 season approaches, Red Bull has locked down the schedule for its line-up announcement. Isack Hadjar plays big in the coming days.
Isack Hadjar will soon be fixed. This weekend, Formula 1 goes to Losail (Qatar) for the penultimate Grand Prix of the 2025 season. If Red Bull still believes in the world driver’s title with Max Verstappen, especially after the disqualification of the two McLarens in Las Vegas, the Austrian team must also resolve a burning issue: its 2026 line-up.
The second Red Bull seat, alongside the four-time world champion, remains to be awarded. The name of Isack Hadjar, author of a remarkable first season in F1, comes up repeatedly. Facing him, Yuki Tsunoda, threatened with finding himself without a steering wheel next year, displays intact determination and intends to give his all during the last two rounds.
Until now, Helmut Marko, Red Bull sporting advisor, suggested that the decision would be made after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But the timetable has suddenly accelerated. In Las Vegas, Laurent Mekies dropped a bombshell: “We will formalize our line-up just after Qatar. One more week of patience”. A short sentence which puts additional pressure on all the contenders, first and foremost Isack Hadjar.
Hadjar off to a good start
The Frenchman arrives in Qatar in full swing. He scored points in Brazil in early November, then again in Las Vegas last weekend. Valuable results for its future within the Red Bull fold, but also for Racing Bulls, currently 6th in the constructors’ world championship with 90 points.
With this advanced announcement, the pressure increases a notch. Tsunoda is gambling for his survival in Formula 1, while Hadjar moves calmly towards what could be the biggest turning point of his career. In a few days, the paddock will finally know the identity of the chosen one who will inherit the second Red Bull seat to accompany Max Verstappen.
