Red Bull waste no time in brutal F1 driver swap

Red Bull

Red Bull waste no time in brutal F1 driver swap

Yuki Tsunoda out. Isack Hadjar in!

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 9 December 2025 20:51

Red Bull have wasted no time swapping their F1 drivers with Isack Hadjar partaking in the post-season Abu Dhabi tyre test in place of Yuki Tsunoda.

In between Qatar and Abu Dhabi, Red Bull announced Hadjar will race alongside Max Verstappen in 2026. The Frenchman will be replaced by F2 star Arvid Lindblad at Racing Bulls with Liam Lawson remaining alongside the Brit at the sister team.

Tsunoda has been relegated to test and reserve driver for 2026, after a dismal campaign in the top team alongside Verstappen.

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Two days after the season finale, Red Bull's preparations for 2026 were already underway and Hadjar got behind the wheel of a mule car for Pirelli's tyre test in Abu Dhabi.

F1's tyre manufacturer tested their 2026 tyre compounds, which will feature on the brand new cars following the regulations reset next season.

Given Hadjar will be in the car full-time next year, and will need all the experience he can get going up against Verstappen, it is only natural that Red Bull have swapped Tsunoda out so early on.

Hadjar steps up at Red Bull

Hadjar will be the only Red Bull driver in action at the Yas Marina Circuit, enjoying a full day of testing with Max Verstappen not scheduled to drive on Tuesday.

Ayumu Iwasa will drive the 2025 Red Bull for the young driver portion of the test, in which Lindblad is also slated to enjoy a sample of Racing Bulls machinery.

Question marks remain over next year's car as Red Bull parts ways with Honda and start producing their own power units, all alongside the challenge of mastering a new ruleset.

Hadjar also has the most unenviable task in F1, going up against Verstappen at the same team. The second Red Bull seat has disposed of the likes of Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Lawson and Tsunoda over the past few years and Hadjar will be hoping his name is not included in this list.

Lewis Hamilton expressed his concern over Hadjar's promotion in Abu Dhabi, and asked Red Bull to make changes to support the youngster throughout his career.

"We all know what happens when people go to Red Bull and the environment that you’re thrown into," he said.

"Obviously I’ve not been there so I can’t tell from experience but looking from the outside it’s obviously quite difficult and where he is [at Racing Bulls], he’s got, it seems, a really good environment.”

“So I just hope that there are changes made that provide him with the right support.”

Red Bull Yuki Tsunoda Isack Hadjar