Red Bull Racing chief advisor Helmut Marko isn’t an easy man to please.
Time and again, very talented drivers have been promoted into the Red Bull team and spat out again, unable to match the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.
The likes of Pierre Gasly, Daniil Kvyat and Alex Albon were never able to truly convince Helmut Marko that they were suitable drivers for Red Bull.
The veteran Austrian is always looking for the next great talent, which is why last season Marko was so keen to promote Liam Lawson when it became clear that Daniel Ricciardo was never going to rediscover his true potential.
This season, young driver Arvid Lindblad has emerged as the next talent Red Bull are backing to be a Formula 1 star.
Speaking exclusively to F1 Oversteer, Alex Jacques suggested it’s a matter of time until Lindblad is racing in F1, and journalist Ralf Bach believes he’s identified which driver Marko wants to let go to add the British teenager to their quartet of Formula 1 drivers.
READ MORE: Who is Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko? Everything to know
Photo by Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty ImagesHelmut Marko’s ‘goal’ is for Arvid Lindblad to race in F1 in 2026, Yuki Tsunoda set to be dropped
Marko was speaking to Sky Sports Germany after practice at the Dutch Grand Prix and said: “We have extended the options and will watch a few more races. We want to make a decision in September or October.”
However, reporting for F1 Insider, journalist Ralf Bach explained: “It’s good for the public to say, ‘We’re still looking at it closely,”’
“But I know Helmut Marko a little bit: when he has his favourites, they are so firmly cemented that he wants to bring them into Formula 1.
“I think he’ll [Lindblad] get a seat with the Racing Bulls.
“Hadjar is likely to be promoted, and then Tsunoda will have to find a new cockpit. That means, in my opinion, Verstappen will be driving with Hadjar and Lindblad at Racing Bulls next year, together with Liam Lawson.”
Bach has no doubts that Lindblad will be in Formula 1 next year and continued: “That is Helmut Marko’s goal, so someone has to go.
“Red Bull probably does not want to keep Tsunoda, and someone has to move up so that Lindblad can get a free cockpit at Racing Bulls.”
READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad including his parents
Yuki Tsunoda 2026 alternative seat emerges as Red Bull consider switch
Tsunoda knows that the Dutch Grand Prix is going to be very important for setting the tone for the rest of the season.
Although Red Bull are unlikely to announce their drivers for next season before the end of the campaign, decisions will need to be made much earlier than that.
Lindblad has a few more opportunities to impress in Formula 2 this year, although his recent form hasn’t been world-beating.
Tsunoda hasn’t scored a point in his last seven races, which is far more worrying than Lindblad’s tricky time racing for Campos.
TEAMDRIVER 1DRIVER 2AlpinePierre GaslyN/AAston MartinFernando AlonsoLance StrollAudiGabriel BortoletoNico HulkenbergCadillacValtteri BottasSergio PerezFerrariCharles LeclercLewis HamiltonHaasEsteban OconOliver BearmanMcLarenLando NorrisOscar PiastriMercedesN/AN/ARacing BullsN/AN/ARed Bull RacingMax VerstappenN/AWilliamsAlex AlbonCarlos Sainz2026 confirmed F1 drivers
It’s been suggested that Tsunoda is being considered by Alpine for 2026, which would see a reunion with Pierre Gasly.
It’s an option the Japanese driver needs to seriously consider, even if Flavio Briatore’s team are rooted to the bottom of the constructors’ championship.
If Red Bull and Marko are determined to find a pathway for Lindblad into F1 in 2026, then Tsunoda’s management team need to be working overtime to negotiate with Alpine, as it looks set to be the only available seat the 15-time retiree can compete for.