Yesterday marked the three month timescale before the all new 2026 Formula One cars and power units hit the circuit for the first time in 2026. The driver market this season was mostly speculation and a lot of hot air surrounding the never realistic move to be made by Max Verstappen to Mercedes.
Now both Mercedes driers are locked into another of Toto’s “multi-year” contracts which he admitted has clauses which could see either driver secure for just a single season more.
Outside the Red Bull family only French Colapinto remains unsigned and de facto team principal Flavio Briatore has made it clear the Alpine seat alongside Pierre Gasly will go to either junior driver Paul Aron or to Colapinto himself. Jack Doohan’s F1 career appears to be over.
Red Bull back in the constructors’ race for 2nd
The fact that Red Bull are not in a hurry to declare their driver lineup for 2026, of course Verstappen will be there, makes it plain the drivers under consideration all come from the Red Bull stable.
Racing Bulls team boss Alan Permaine has been repeatedly asked about Yuki Tsunoda’s future and dodged the issue. The closest indication over when a decision will be made came from Dr. Helmut Marko in Austin where he revealed a decision wold be made “after the Mexican Grand Prix.”
Alan Permaine was asked about this timeline in Mexico City on Friday, to which he laughed, responding, “It will definitely be after Mexico, but how long after Mexico is the uncertainty.”
So why are Red Bull keeping their cards close to their chest when its clear their are no external candidates under consideration? The answer lies within the fact there’s been a resurgence in the form of the RB21, not just in the hands of Max Verstappen but also Yuki Tsunoda.
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Tsunoda resurgent form
Across the last three race weekends since the introduction of the Monza floor, the Japanese driver has scored 14 of the 25 points he’s accumulated since taking over from Liam Lawson in Japan. This together with Verstappen’s four race wins in the last five has renewed Red Bull’s claims in the constructors’ championship.
After the Hungarian Grand Prix, Red Bull were 66 points behind Ferrari who were in second. Now the gap to the Scuderia is just 3 points with Mercedes now in second a further 7 ahead.
The reason there’ll be no announcement before the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and maybe even much later in the season is that the team need Tsunoda to keep putting his best foot forward and announcing he will be leaving Formula one is not conducive to retaining the Japanese driver’s motivation.
The 1997 Formula One champion, Jacques Villeneuve is blunt in his assessment of Tsunoda who is now in his firth year in F1. He points to the fact that Red Bull’s Honda powertrain deal was the catalyst for Yuki getting his bog chance, but the Japanese manufacturer is moving to Aston Martin next season and so Red Bull can cut Tsunoda with impunity.
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Yet there is a genuine sign of a recovery from Yuki since he was given the upgraded floor. His career total points stand at 119 from 106 starts and 14 of those have come this season in Baku and Austin. The problem for the Japanese driver is waiting in the wings is the impressive Isack Hadjar at the Racing Bulls.
He is the leading rookie this season if we exclude Kimi Antonelli who is in a car which sits second in the constructors’ championship. The French-Algerian is almost nailed on to take Tsunoda’s seat alongside Max for 2026 but a number of paddock voices believe Yuki cold cling on and remain with the racing Bulls.
The problem is Red Bull have the impressive Arvid Lindblad waiting in the wings and in FP1 in Mexico he was the sixth quickest driver in Verstappen’s car and ahead of Tsunoda. Although having just turned 18 years of age, Lindblad has such little single seater racing experience with this season’s F2 being his first in a truly international FIA accredited competition.
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He won the Sprint in Monaco and again next time to in Barcelona, but he has totalled just 109 points with two rounds remaining and is a distant 79 behind championship leader Leo Fornaroli. Despite his impressive FP1 in Mexico, there’s an argument that Red Bull should enter him for another season in F2 rather than risk burning him too early in Formula One.
This would see Red Bull retain Yuki Tsunoda for one final season, but back alongside his former team mate Liam Lawson. Yet Jacques Villeneuve believes Tsunoda’s number is up. “Keep Lawson, because you need a known quantity, and then go take Palou from IndyCar. He’s winning races under pressure [and] under every kind of circumstances. Perfect future Red Bull driver. Test him out,” argues the French Canadian.
“You didn’t see that one coming. He’s a known quantity as a race car driver, and he’s had much better training and practice than a Formula 2 driver. He’s running under tremendous pressure in the Indy 500, on different kinds of tracks, and he’s always at the top.”
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Alex Palou is indeed the wunderkind of North American single seater racing, the Spaniard has won a remarkable four of the six Indycar championships in which he has completed, but is under contract with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Villeneuve believes the Racing Bulls should retain Liam Lawson in what may be a seat warming exercise of Alex Dunne in 2027. “Lawson still has a lot to show,” Villeneuve added. “He doesn’t have that much experience. Tsunoda, what? Five years now? We’ve seen how good he is, and it’s just not good enough.”
Given Lawson’s relative lack of experience together with the praise he has shown from time to time, it will surely be he who gets the nod over Tsunoda and Marko will push through the recruitment of Lindblad, regardless of the fact the team may benefit from experienced drivers in 2026 – with new power units and all new F1 cars.
Max Verstappen stands up to Dr. Marko
Throughout the Red Bull drama’s earlier this season, Max Verstappen and his mentor Dr. Helmut Marko have been permanently in step together. Toto Wolff circled like a vulture when rumours were in abundance that the world champion was considering leaving his Red Bull family.
Yet Marko and Max were in unison in terms of their non-denials, both fanning the flames of speculation in the paddock that Verstappen was considering above to Mercedes in 2026.
Following the sacking of long standing team boss Christian Horner, Max finally out to bed the speculation at the Hungarian Grand Prix….. READ MORE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
