Overview
- Red Bull has pushed all 2026 driver announcements, including Racing Bulls selections, to post-season, citing full focus on the title fight, according to Helmut Marko.
- Reporting points to Isack Hadjar as the leading internal candidate to partner Max Verstappen, with expectations that Racing Bulls retain Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson and that Arvid Lindblad waits another year.
- Nikola Tsolov will step into Formula 2 for the final two rounds in place of Pepe Marti, who has signed with Cupra Kiro in Formula E and will forgo the Abu Dhabi F2 finale due to the São Paulo FE opener.
- Ford and Red Bull will unveil their 2026 cars on January 15, 2026 in Detroit at Ford’s Season Launch, marking a high-profile step in Ford’s return to F1 with Red Bull Powertrains.
- Christian Horner’s earlier exit has given way to Laurent Mekies’ tenure, which pundits frame as a more technical direction, and separate media reports link Horner with a potential Alpine role that remains unconfirmed.