Liam Lawson will remain on the Formula One grid in 2026, Red Bull have confirmed.
As first reported by the Herald in July, Lawson will stay with Red Bull’s sister outfit Racing Bulls, as the team’s senior driver at a time where Formula One introduces drastic regulation changes.
The Kiwi will also serve as mentor to new teammate Arvid Lindblad, taking the place of Isack Hadjar, who has been promoted into Red Bull’s senior ranks alongside reigning world champion Max Verstappen.
“I’m really looking forward to racing with VCARB in 2026. It’s an opportunity I’ll continue to be grateful for as we enter a year of change in F1,” Lawson said. “I’m ready to get to work with the team as we prepare for the challenging season ahead. It’s going to be an exciting year and I can’t wait to kick it off with my first pre-season with the team.”
That leaves Yuki Tsunoda as the odd man out. He will remain part of the Red Bull family as a reserve driver for both Red Bull and Racing Bulls in 2026.
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane said Hadjar had earned his promotion with consistent results in 2025, scoring in 10 Grands Prix, including a maiden podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix.
“He has delivered a truly outstanding season, demonstrating exceptional race-craft and consistency well beyond his experience. He has fully earned his step up to Red Bull Racing and we wish him nothing but the best as he takes on this exciting new challenge in his career – we are proud to have been part of the journey.
“Liam has shown impressive performance and professionalism throughout this year, he has excelled when conditions have been at their hardest and we look forward to building on this in 2026, while Arvid’s rapid progression marks him as one of the standout young talents in the sport.”
Red Bull had signposted the decision would be announced after the Mexican Grand Prix, only to move it back to after Qatar.
With Red Bull eager to promote Lindblad, despite indifferent form in Formula Two, Lawson and Tsunoda had been locked in a duel to secure that final seat at Racing Bulls.
Since the pair swapped places just two races into 2025, Lawson has achieved superior results to Tsunoda at almost every turn.
In what’s supposed to be an inferior car, Lawson holds a five-point lead over Tsunoda in the drivers championship, with one race remaining in 2025.
In fact, Lawson’s current season tally of 38 points is more than Tsunoda has achieved in any of his full seasons in the sport.
On Monday, that was shown again as Lawson finished ninth to Tsunoda’s 10th at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Despite his experience, boasting over 100 grand prix starts in more than four seasons with both Red Bull teams, Tsunoda’s place on the grid has – for the most part – been down to Honda.
The Herald understands the Japanese manufacturer paid Red Bull an annual sum of about US$10 million ($17.4m). Earlier this year, as Tsunoda took Lawson’s place in the senior side, that figure was doubled.
And yet, with Honda replaced by Ford from 2026, Tsunoda’s value to the team – or lack thereof – has ultimately told, with Lawson backed to be the man to lead Racing Bulls.
Earlier this year, Red Bull appeared to give away their 2026 plans by using Lawson in promotional material for Ford after the US Grand Prix.
Along the same lines, Tsunoda almost gave away his future before the Qatar Grand Prix, when he said he knew his future – but could not reveal what it was.
Now, though, that announcement has been made on Tsunoda’s behalf. With no seats remaining on the 2026 grid, including at soon-to-be-Honda powered Aston Martin, Tsunoda had also been linked with a place in the American IndyCar series, with Dale Coyne Racing.
The Formula One season concludes with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next week.
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.