Red Bull is likely to delay any decisions about its driver line-up until the end of this season as Yuki Tsunoda, Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson all face uncertain futures.
There had been an indication that a call could be made prior to this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, but sources in Mexico City suggested to RACER that is now looking less likely. With no decisions having been announced by the time the teams arrived in Interlagos, the trio of drivers waiting to learn their fate are all seeing the final four rounds as an opportunity to prove themselves.
For Tsunoda, he admits that means he has not been as involved in the development of the 2026 car as teammate Max Verstappen, but he is prioritizing his own more immediate performances.
“I would say probably not as much [involvement] as Max, at all,” Tsunoda said. “No, I’m just fully focused now for the current year, 2025, and that’s it.
“I have to maximize every race. I’m sure he’ll give me more feedback for next year’s car and everything, but what I’m doing now is a completely different situation to him, and I have to keep performing in these coming races. No, I would say I’m just focusing on this race.”
Sources suggest Hadjar is under consideration to replace Tsunoda at Red Bull in 2026 after a strong rookie season, but the Frenchman says he doesn’t need early confirmation of his plans.
“I mean, to be honest, it’s something I’m used to,” Hadjar said. “I never signed a contract or had something announced before the end of the season in my whole career. So I always had to keep my head down and keep pushing until the very final lap. For me, it’s nothing new, and that’s how it works with Red Bull.”
Should Hadjar be promoted, it would likely leave either Tsunoda or Lawson to drive for Racing Bulls alongside F2 talent Arvid Lindblad, but Lawson also says there have been no specific talks about what 2026 might hold for him.
“Just small stuff [has been discussed since Mexico], I think more focused around these races, not so much about [the future],” Lawson said. “I think we’re all aware obviously that the decisions are all coming towards the end of this year, but the message to us is the same as it’s always been. It’s obviously to perform.
“That’s what I’m trying to do, and what we’re all trying to do. I think there’s nothing really deeper than that at the moment. That’s really going to be what determines next year.”
Aside from the Red Bull and Racing Bulls seats, the only other vacancy on next year’s grid is currently at Alpine, where Franco Colapinto is expected to retain his drive.
