It is now certain that one of Red Bull’s well-known names will not have a place on the Formula 1 grid in 2026. Either Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson, or Arvid Lindblad will miss out on a seat for next season’s campaign. Alpine has officially announced today that Franco Colapinto will also race for the French team in 2026. That fills the last seat outside the Red Bull teams. Therefore, for Tsunoda, Lawson, and Lindblad, there are no remaining alternatives if there’s no room for them at
Red Bull Racing or
Racing Bulls.
While
Isack Hadjar officially doesn’t yet know where his future lies, the Frenchman does not need to worry. He will likely become
Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull, but if that unexpectedly doesn’t happen, there will always be a spot at Racing Bulls.
Will Liam Lawson miss out? Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
Which of the three will miss out?
There are concerns for the aforementioned trio. It’s assumed that Arvid Lindblad will be promoted from Formula 2 to Racing Bulls
F1. That would leave the other two drivers competing for one seat.
Yuki Tsunoda has made little impression alongside Verstappen this season, but it’s not out of the question that the Japanese driver could return to the team with which he made his Formula 1 debut. In that case, Lawson would see his F1 dream shattered.
If Red Bull opts to have Lawson alongside the expected Lindblad, Tsunoda would be the one to miss out.
Whichever driver loses out, a reserve role in Formula 1 would be the most that awaits them after the Colapinto news.
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