A lot of the focus in the Formula 1 paddock is on the future of one side of the Red Bull Racing garage.
Yuki Tsunoda is fighting for his Red Bull future after a disappointing spell with Laurent Mekies’ team following his in-season switch from Racing Bulls.
The Japanese driver has fallen to 19th in the drivers’ championship, despite scoring two points at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Isack Hadjar is the frontrunner to replace Tsunoda, but there’s further uncertainty bubbling away on the other side of the garage.
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
Max Verstappen confirmed he would be racing for Red Bull in 2026 after months of speculation linking him away from the team.
Mercedes were keen to sign Verstappen, while Aston Martin were sniffing around ahead of the sport’s upcoming regulation changes.
Red Bull will be well aware that they can’t afford not to build a car capable of challenging for a championship next year, otherwise the Dutchman will be forced to consider his options.
Former Williams and McLaren driver Juan Pablo Montoya has been assessing Red Bull’s options beyond 2026 in case Verstappen decides to leave.
He thinks Mekies’ team simply have to ‘force’ a move for Carlos Sainz to bring him back into the fold if Verstappen does move on.
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Photo by Gabriele Lanzo – Alessio Morgese/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesJuan Pablo Montoya tells Red Bull to ‘force’ move for Carlos Sainz if Max Verstappen leaves
Montoya was speaking on the MontoyAS Podcast about the driver situation at Red Bull, and he explained: “So, if Yuki is not there next year, you can stay with the structure you have and move up Hadjar.
“Ok, tell me, let’s move up Hadjar. Hadjar is going OK, Lawson is going well, and then you move up Lindblad, and, at the end of the year, when Max leaves, who do you bring up?
“Are you going to partner Lindblad and Hadjar or Lawson and Hadjar to replace Max?
“Personally, they could be very good; they’re very, very good drivers, but you have to find someone with experience to replace him.
Position Drivers’ Championship PointsPts 1 309 2 275 3 205 4 184 5 151 6 109 7 64 8 64 9 37 10 37
“Right now, they have two inexperienced drivers, and if Max leaves, there will be three drivers with no experience.
“So, who do you hire? You have to bring in Carlos Sainz; you have to try and force Carlos to leave Williams.
“But, if Williams are competitive next year, why would Carlos leave? If you ask me, that would be one of the best moves Red Bull could make.”
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Ferrari not considering Carlos Sainz return amid Lewis Hamilton struggles and slow Williams start
Williams appeared to have pulled off a coup by signing Sainz following his Ferrari exit.
Ferrari aren’t considering an immediate return for Sainz despite Lewis Hamilton not having the easiest first season with the team; however, the Spaniard is still very highly regarded at Maranello.
There are also no suggestions that Hamilton is going to stop racing any time soon, although the option to extend his contract beyond 2026 is under the seven-time world champion’s control.
Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images
Sainz has had a ‘big problem’ with qualifying since joining Williams, according to David Croft, although he did reach Q3 at Zandvoort for the first time in eight races.
Whether Sainz would consider a return to Red Bull is another matter, although he’s more likely to add to his 27 Formula 1 podiums with Mekies’ team than James Vowles’ as things stand.
That could easily change next year, with Williams diverting all of their resources towards their 2026 at the earliest possible opportunity.