Report: Lawson stays on the F1 grid for 2026 as Red Bull promotes Hadjar

Liam Lawson will remain a full-time Formula One driver in 2026, with highly reliable Dutch journalist Erik van Haren reporting that the Kiwi has been retained by Racing Bulls as part of a wider reshuffle across the Red Bull camp.

Van Haren — known for accurate reporting on Verstappen-related developments — says the 2026 structure is now settled. Isack Hadjar will step up to Red Bull Racing, joining Max Verstappen, while Lawson continues at Racing Bulls, where he will be partnered by rising Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad.

The move confirms that Lawson has held onto his place on the grid after a turbulent 2025 season that saw the Kiwi briefly promoted into the senior Red Bull seat, only to be replaced two races later. Despite that upheaval, his performances across the year at Racing Bulls were strong enough for the organisation to keep him in the fold for the major regulation reset arriving in 2026.

Hadjar gets the call-up, Tsunoda on the outer

Hadjar’s promotion caps a rapid rise through Red Bull’s system, and signals the team’s intent to develop long-term youth alongside Verstappen. His step up leaves Yuki Tsunoda without a seat, ending the Japanese driver’s F1 tenure within the Red Bull structure.

Lindblad, still only 17, is expected to move into the second Racing Bulls seat after impressing in junior categories and limited F1 running.

A stable landing for Lawson

For Lawson, the confirmation offers something he has not had in two seasons: continuity. After jumping between reserve duties, Racing Bulls outings and a short-lived Red Bull seat, staying put gives the 24-year-old a clear runway into 2026, where new chassis and power unit rules promise a significant reset across the grid.

It also keeps him directly inside Red Bull’s talent pipeline should the senior team’s lineup shift again beyond next year.

Formal confirmation from Red Bull is expected late Today or early Wednesday NZ time.