How \u2018quietly dominant\u2019 McLaren can make F1 history this weekend \u2014 and record Piastri can break<\/a><\/p>\nRed Bull Racing boss Laurent Mekies said last month that the energy drinks brand would take its time deciding on the composition of its four-car line-up. Only Verstappen is contracted beyond the end of the year, while Tsunoda, Hadjar and Liam Lawson are all unsigned.<\/p>\n
Marko told Austrian broadcaster ORF that a decision will be made around the time of the Mexico City Grand Prix in the middle of October.<\/p>\n
Red Bull\u2019s hand is strengthened by there being few alternatives for its drivers on the market.<\/p>\n
Even if the decision to promote Hadjar is as good as made, it\u2019s unclear whether that would see Tsunoda exit the Red Bull program completely.<\/p>\n
Though Arvid Lindblad is in the frame for promotion to the Racing Bulls team next season, the young British driver is in just his first season in Formula 2. He\u2019s currently seventh on the title table with one feature victory on his record.<\/p>\n
There is a scenario in which Lindblad remains in Formula 2 and Tsunoda\u2019s skin is saved by taking Hadjar\u2019s vacated seat at Racing Bulls.<\/p>\n
That would presumably require at least a small uplift in results, however.<\/p>\n
PIT TALK PODCAST: Michael and Matt delve into F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali\u2019s ideas to refresh the Formula 1 weekend format, including shorter grands prix, more sprints and reverse grid races.<\/p>\n
The Japanese driver has scored just nine points since switching to Red Bull Racing at the Japanese Grand Prix and is 19th on the title table ahead of only the scoreless Franco Colapinto and the axed Jack Doohan.<\/p>\n
Verstappen has outscored him by 185 points in their time as teammates.<\/p>\n
While Tsunoda said in Baku on Thursday that \u201cevery race is crucial\u201d for his career, he said he wasn\u2019t spending time thinking about his future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only things I\u2019m thinking about is just staying at Red Bull next year, so I\u2019m not really thinking about a possible situation when I\u2019m going back to Racing Bulls or whatever,\u201d he said, per The Race.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut yeah, if that would be something I\u2019ll think about that when that thing happened. I was staying there for four long years and I know the people, but at the same time, I moved on already to a new chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tsunoda also said his struggles were made to look worse than they really were.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt probably looks like a difficult moment, but actually it\u2019s given me a lot of progress as a human and as a driver,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
It would be surprising, however, if Tsunoda were not considering contingencies.<\/p>\n
Alpine is the only team with a seat more than just nominally open, with Franco Colapinto unconfirmed beyond the end of the season.<\/p>\n
Honda-backed Tsunoda has also been connected to a reserve role at Aston Martin, to which the Japanese engine builder will supply power units from next year. Fernando Alonso is under contract in 2026 but without a deal for 2027, which could offer Tsunoda a path back onto the grid.<\/p>\n
Lawson, who could also find himself without a drive in a potential driver shuffle, suggested this week that he was looking beyond the Red Bull brand to keep his Formula 1 career alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s obviously hard to know,\u201d he said when asked where he would be racing in 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs drivers, the main thing for us is to be in Formula 1, so we\u2019re focused on securing a seat. Honestly, that\u2019s my goal at the moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spent a long time \u2014 especially joining [the Red Bull program] as a junior at 17 \u2014 just looking at how to get to Red Bull Racing. That was where I saw my future.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot that I forgot why I do it, but that was so much of the goal. It\u2019s easier now to sit back and realise the goal has always been winning and getting to the top, and it doesn\u2019t need to be specific to where that is.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Kiwi added Racing Bulls remained his best option given the death of alternatives, however.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now it\u2019s mostly talks with Red Bull and trying to secure a seat where I am at the moment,\u201d he said. \u201cBeyond that, I think it\u2019s at a point where most of them [other seats] are pretty much gone, I would say.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oscar & Leclerc laugh after absurd move | 00:54<\/p>\n
Hadjar\u2019s possible elevation to Red Bull Racing just one year into his Formula 1 career raises obvious questions about his preparedness for the most difficult task in Formula 1.<\/p>\n
All five of Verstappen\u2019s teammates have struggled and eventually been sacked since Daniel Ricciardo quit the team at the end of 2018.<\/p>\n
Pierre Gasly lasted just 12 rounds in the seat before being dumped back to the then Toro Rosso team. His successor, Alex Albon, made it 18 months before being axed. He spent a year off the grid before joining Williams in 2022.<\/p>\n
Sergio P\u00e9rez lasted three years before his results were so dire that Red Bull Racing sacked him, paying off a contract he had signed but had yet to begin.<\/p>\n
Lawson got just two races at the start of the year before being demoted to Racing Bulls, while Tsunoda seems set to be canned after 22 races.<\/p>\n
The long line of carnage has made clear that Red Bull Racing\u2019s car is at least part of the problem, with only Verstappen able to tame the team\u2019s skittish machines.<\/p>\n
Hadjar, however, believes his elevation in 2026 wouldn\u2019t come with the same risk given the sweeping regulation changes due next year.<\/p>\n
\u201c2026 is a different question because it\u2019s a brand-new start for the team,\u201d he said, per Autosport. \u201cThere won\u2019t be this talk of the second car thing. This wouldn\u2019t be a thing, because it\u2019s a brand-new car for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked what advice he would have for Hadjar, Lawson said self-confidence would be key.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very tough place to be,\u201d he said. \u201cAt the end of the day we\u2019re all racing drivers; we have to have enough self-confidence to be in the sport. We don\u2019t come here thinking other people are better than us, otherwise we wouldn\u2019t be here.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think just have faith in yourself. He\u2019s done a good job this year. If that\u2019s the case, just focus on the job, prepare the best you can and don\u2019t listen to everything that\u2019s said about what it\u2019s going to be like \u2014 nobody actually knows, only the guys that have done it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Isack Hadjar \u201chas an idea\u201d about Red Bull\u2019s plans for his 2026 contract amid reports he\u2019s set to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":154139,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[572],"tags":[2095,64,63,18502,18238,51020,103104,103099,2791,103105,800,845,28118,103103,4405,10114,2045,75915,103106,3352,825,2184,23956,103101,806,805,18268,803,804,2041,18500,20326,32654,2072,103107,85,103100,34892,43342,43367,103102,5077],"class_list":["post-154138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-motosport","tag-america","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-austrian-broadcaster","tag-auto-motor","tag-breakthrough-podium","tag-car-thing","tag-career-raises","tag-central-america","tag-driver-shuffle","tag-espn-inc","tag-fernando-alonso","tag-formation-lap","tag-german-publication","tag-helmut-marko","tag-isack-hadjar","tag-jack-doohan","tag-japanese-driver","tag-japanese-engine-builder","tag-liam-lawson","tag-max-verstappen","tag-mexico","tag-mexico-city","tag-midfield-drivers","tag-motor","tag-motor-sports","tag-motorsport-adviser","tag-motosport","tag-motosports","tag-north-america","tag-orf","tag-racing-drivers","tag-senior-team","tag-sergio-perez","tag-shuffle-rumours","tag-sports","tag-sweeping-regulation-changes","tag-team-management","tag-title-standings","tag-title-table","tag-young-british-driver","tag-yuki-tsunoda"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154138"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154138\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/154139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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