Could this be Max Verstappen's surprising new teammate in 2026?

Whether Max Verstappen himself will stay with Red Bull Racing is still a question. The Dutchman has a contract until 2028 with Red Bull Racing, but whether he will see it out remains very much in doubt. Mercedes is in the market for the four-time world champion and wants to make a decision by the summer break.

Red Bull will hope to keep Verstappen on board, as otherwise, they will have to replace two drivers for a year in which having experience in F1 and with the new engines and cars in the Red Bull camp would certainly be an advantage. In the event of Verstappen's departure, Red Bull may also have to fish in a different pool than for Verstappen's successor.

In this analysis, it's not about what GPblog thinks will happen, but what GPblog expects to happen. With Helmut Marko firmly back in the saddle as the leader of Red Bull, the team will again look to its own talents and less so at drivers outside its own stable. The list, therefore, consists of three names.

The most obvious option is Isack Hadjar. The Frenchman will have completed a year in Formula 1 after 2025. Is one year enough to step in alongside Max Verstappen? That is a question many will ask, but it's clear that the Frenchman is fast.

At Red Bull, with Helmut Marko at the forefront, they are also positively surprised by Hadjar. The Frenchman is much more consistent than expected at the highest level and has no problem beating Liam Lawson in qualifications and races. The speed is there, and Hadjar makes few mistakes.

The big question mark behind the name of Hadjar is how he will deal with setbacks. In the junior categories, the Frenchman could sometimes rant over the board radio when things didn't go as he wanted. Hadjar uses the radio button in Formula 1 less in those phases, but what if he suddenly faces a series of setbacks? Those doubts bring a very special option into play.

It sounds crazy, but at this moment, Arvid Lindblad might be the prime candidate for the seat next to Max Verstappen. The young Brit spends a lot of time on the simulator in Milton Keynes, repeatedly testing with the Red Bull Racing car for 2026, this site knows. Lindblad is also offered various tests by Red Bull and seems to be better prepared than anyone else.

While boys like Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri made many miles before their F1 debut, Red Bull often throws its talents directly into the Racing Bulls. There, they must fight out who is the best and gets the seat at Red Bull Racing. That Red Bull is now giving Lindblad so many test miles could indicate that he will be in the Red Bull car next to Verstappen in 2026.

The last option is a return of Liam Lawson, but at this moment, that seems like an unrealistic option. Helmut Marko reportedly wanted to remove Lawson from the car immediately after his poor performance at the Grand Prix of Australia, which happened a race later.

Since then, Lawson has also failed to impress in the Racing Bulls car. Only in Spielberg and Jeddah was Lawson faster than Isack Hadjar, the young Frenchman has been faster in all other cases.

In the second half of 2025, it will be between Arvid Lindblad and Isack Hadjar. With Marko firmly back in command, it wouldn't be a big surprise if a young talent is thrown directly into the deep end at Red Bull Racing. That Red Bull is already giving him the test miles, which talents normally don't get from Red Bull, is a sign.

Within Red Bull, they were also very pleased with Lindblad's performance in Silverstone in the RB21. Under great pressure, Lindblad stayed fairly close to Max Verstappen, something that will only confirm to Marko that Lindblad can be seen as a serious candidate.

Although it seems strange that Hadjar would be bypassed in that case, it wouldn't be the first time Lindblad has been marked as the biggest talent from the Red Bull training program. In 2024, when Hadjar was making an impression in Formula 2, Marko already said they had a bigger talent in Formula 3: Arvid Lindblad.

Lindblad is also seen by many as 'the new Max Verstappen'. The new crown prince of Red Bull Racing. Where the previous crown princes, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, did have a step-up year at Toro Rosso, Lindblad might skip that altogether.