{"id":249371,"date":"2025-10-29T20:11:23","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T20:11:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/249371\/"},"modified":"2025-10-29T20:11:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T20:11:23","slug":"f1-driver-line-up-2026-red-bull-to-axe-yuki-tsunoda-as-daniel-ricciardo-shaped-hole-still-cant-be-filled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/249371\/","title":{"rendered":"F1 driver line-up 2026: Red Bull to axe Yuki Tsunoda as Daniel Ricciardo shaped hole still can’t be filled"},"content":{"rendered":"

Red Bull<\/a> has paused the decision on their driver to partner Max Verstappen<\/a> in 2026 until the end of the season but it’s unlikely to be anything more than a brief stay of execution for Yuki Tsunoda<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While Tsunoda’s seat is in the cross-hairs, 2026 is not set to be a record-breaking year for Formula 1<\/a> in terms of driver changes, with multi-year deals sending most drivers through to the new-regulation season.<\/p>\n

Four seats remain uncontracted in F1 and three of those belong to the Red Bull stable. Both seats are vacant at Racing Bulls<\/a> and Tsunoda has not signed to partner Verstappen.<\/p>\n

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Instead, Isack Hadjar has been given time to build a more impressive resume<\/a> to move into the top job.<\/p>\n

\"Max<\/p>\n

Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda of Oracle Red Bull Racing on the drivers parade prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

But as always, the team’s quick trigger finger on the second seat has garnered questions about the necessity of giving younger drivers the ability to show their chops before being thrown to the Red Bull lion.<\/p>\n

Since Australian Daniel Ricciardo<\/a> vacated the seat at the completion of 2018, the merry-go-round of drivers has been non-stop for the main stable.<\/p>\n

The partnership between icon Ricciardo and rookie Verstappen has not been replicated since and Hadjar may yet be the next to fall victim to the Red Bull curse.<\/p>\n

\"Daniel<\/p>\n

Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen as teammates in 2018.\u00a0Charles Coates via Getty Images<\/p>\n

His Racing Bulls teammate Liam Lawson already has earlier this year.<\/p>\n

He lasted two races partnering Verstappen before Red Bull ruthlessly switched him for Tsunoda<\/a> before the Japanese Grand Prix.<\/p>\n

Since Ricciardo’s departure, Pierre Gasly<\/a>, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez<\/a>, Lawson and Tsunoda have taken the leap to the second seat.<\/p>\n

And it’s set to change again. <\/p>\n

Guenther Steiner argued<\/a> that 2026 does not have any wiggle room for any of the top drivers saying, “Next year, wherever you go…there is no seats in the next year.” <\/p>\n

The only other seat available on the grid for next year is at Alpine, but the fight is very much between Franco Colapinto and reserve driver Paul Aron. <\/p>\n

Any movement and decisions now could see an impact for seats in the 2027 season with the new regulations set to shake up the grid.<\/p>\n

So let’s walk through which drivers have contracts, and which do not.<\/p>\n

Red Bull and Racing Bulls<\/p>\n

Liam Lawson<\/a>‘s blunt, one-word admission revealed the expectation Red Bull has placed on its remaining drivers.<\/p>\n

“Perform.” <\/p>\n

The Kiwi driver does not have a contract into 2026 and is “well aware” of the pressure that mounts in the Red Bull garages.<\/p>\n

“I’m well aware that we need to keep this consistency going, and one good result is not enough,” Lawson said.<\/p>\n

\"Yuki<\/p>\n

Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson of New Zealand talk on the drivers parade prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Japan.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

Verstappen is currently hunting down the drivers’ championship for a fifth season and as always, is looking for the perfect teammate.<\/p>\n

Since Ricciardo’s departure, five drivers have switched in and out of the second seat at Red Bull.<\/p>\n

Hadjar is primed to try his hand next year as Helmut Marko<\/a> advised that the 21-year-old will be racing for the Red Bull stable, but did not specify which team.<\/p>\n

This admission comes as Tsunoda is desperately looking to find pace to renew his fight to keep him alongside Verstappen. He has until Abu Dhabi to build his case.<\/p>\n

Mercedes: <\/p>\n

The Silver Arrows have announced that Kimi Antonelli and George Russell<\/a> will continue on with the Mercedes<\/a> team into 2026.<\/p>\n

\"Valtterri<\/p>\n

Valtterri Bottas, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Toto Wolff in London, England. \u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

“Confirming our driver line-up was always just a matter of when, not if,” said team principal Toto Wolff<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ferrari<\/p>\n

Both Lewis Hamilton<\/a> and Charles Leclerc<\/a> have multi-year deals signed with the Scuderia<\/a>, but recent performance has begged the question if either driver would initiate an escape clause.<\/p>\n

\"Lewis<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Frederic Vasseur and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari ahead of the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix.\u00a0NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Both drivers have lamented issues with the Ferrari drive, in Hungary, Hamilton called it a “challenging weekend”<\/a> while Leclerc suggested the car had become “undriveable”.<\/p>\n

But two strong weekends in Austin and Mexico has reignited the charge for the Ferrari garage, with Leclerc standing on the podium for both races.<\/p>\n

Cadillac<\/p>\n

Cadillac have assigned Perez and Valtteri Bottas<\/a> as the inaugural drivers for the American team.<\/p>\n

But team principal Mario Andretti did admit that he would “always” take Leclerc if the Monegasque driver did end up on the market.<\/p>\n

“I’m a big fan of Leclerc; if he really wanted to change teams one day, I’d take him to Cadillac straight away,” said Andretti.<\/p>\n

“Ferrari is Ferrari, and sooner or later it will come back. Always.”<\/p>\n

Ferrari is struggling this season and the shine of driving for a once-prestigious team is waning with the lack of successful results for both drivers. <\/p>\n

McLaren<\/p>\n

Both drivers Oscar Piastri<\/a> and Lando Norris<\/a> have multi-year deals with McLaren<\/a>, but tensions are rising in the 2025 constructors’ championship-winning team, meaning rumours started swirling of Piastri jumping ship.<\/p>\n

\"Zak<\/p>\n

Zak Brown, Chief Executive Officer of McLaren talks to his drivers. \u00a0Formula 1 via Getty Images<\/p>\n

He was linked to a shock Ferrari move, but Steiner urged caution<\/a> for the Australian driver.<\/p>\n

“First of all, he’s going to win the world championship this year, so that’s why he should stay there,” said Steiner.<\/p>\n

“Why should he leave?”<\/p>\n

“If he wins the world championship, I think he will for sure [be] the world champion in the team and that is what counts.”<\/p>\n

The next four races will be crucial for McLaren as Norris now leads into Brazil<\/a> just one point ahead of his teammate. Verstappen is hunting them down, only 36 points shy of the drivers’ championship lead.<\/p>\n

Williams<\/p>\n

Williams Racing has seen a resurgence to be ‘best of the rest’ in 2025.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz will drive for Williams F1 team for the 2026 season. \u00a0Supplied<\/p>\n

Their two drivers, veterans Albon and Carlos Sainz<\/a> can be thanked for the recent performances.<\/p>\n

Both have consistently brought home points and inked multi-year deals for beyond the 2026 season, showing their commitment to the Grove-based team.<\/p>\n

Sauber\/Audi<\/p>\n

Nico Hulkenberg<\/a> and Gabriel Bortoleto will continue on with the Sauber team with multi-year deals as the team changes over to the Audi namesake.<\/p>\n

Alpine<\/p>\n

De-facto team principal Flavio Briatore has all but left Australian Jack Doohan<\/a> off the cards for the last vacant seat outside of Red Bull, to partner Gasly.<\/p>\n

“It’s between Franco [Colapinto] and Paul [Aron],” Briatore said.<\/p>\n

\"Franco<\/p>\n

Franco Colapinto and Fernando Alonso talk on the drivers parade prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Singapore.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

As Colapinto continues on a race-by-race basis with the Alpine team, his seat is less than secure as Aron primes himself to switch into the second seat before the season’s end.<\/p>\n

Aston Martin<\/p>\n

Both Lance Stroll<\/a> and Fernando Alonso<\/a> will continue with Aston Martin through to the 2026 season. <\/p>\n

Haas<\/p>\n

Both Esteban Ocon<\/a> and Ollie Bearman have inked ‘multi-year’ deals that see them through the 2026 season.<\/p>\n

Bearman has cemented himself as one of the best rookies on the 2025 grid, scoring Haas’ equal best result of fourth at the Mexico Grand Prix<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The outsiders looking in<\/p>\n

Mick Schumacher<\/a> recently tested with IndyCar<\/a>, saying the category was “the closest to what I can still race.”<\/p>\n

“I can’t go back [to Formula 2] because I won a championship,” he admitted.<\/p>\n

“IndyCar might be a good option. Obviously, my target the past couple of years has been to go back to F1, but that option hasn’t quite opened up this year or the years previous to that.<\/p>\n

“So, at some point I want to race again in single-seaters, and therefore [this] option is a good one.”<\/p>\n

\"Mick<\/p>\n

Mick Schumacher and Jack Doohan chat in the paddock.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

The Swiss-born German, who raced for Haas in 2021 and 2022, has his father’s words in his mind as he chooses a path in racing.<\/p>\n

“I think one of the things my dad [Michael Schumacher<\/a>] always said was ‘the Schumachers are usually faster if they can see their wheels’,” he stated.<\/p>\n

As Doohan is slipping though the cracks of the F1 paddock, he too could join Schumacher in the international series to find a vacant seat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Red Bull has paused the decision on their driver to partner Max Verstappen in 2026 until the end…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":249372,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[573],"tags":[64,63,817,813,816,85],"class_list":["post-249371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-f1","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249371","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=249371"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249371\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}