Red Bull control three of the final six seats available on the 2026 F1 grid, with Yuki Tsunoda plus Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson currently out of contract.
Only Mercedes, with George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli still to secure new contracts, plus Alpine, with Franco Colapinto holding a race-by-race deal, also have seats to fill on next year’s grid. But Toto Wolff has claimed that Mercedes will be “continuing” with their line-up.
Most of the debate in the F1 driver market instead focuses on who will race for Red Bull and their sister team, Racing Bulls, next year. Tsunoda has often struggled since he traded seats with Lawson in March, so Hadjar is widely expected to step up and partner Max Verstappen.
Tsunoda returned to the points for the first time in eight rounds at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend as retirements for Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc lifted him into P9. But the big story at Zandvoort was Hadjar’s P3 in the Dutch GP to get his first F1 podium.
Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesRed Bull hold talks with McLaren junior Alex Dunne about a potential 2026 F1 move
It is also now said that Red Bull are delaying announcing Hadjar’s promotion out of respect for Tsunoda, who has been a part of their family since 2019. Yet Red Bull are also looking at further potential additions to their 2026 driver roster, including McLaren junior Alex Dunne.
READ MORE: Who is McLaren junior driver Alex Dunne? Everything you need to know
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
According to GPblog, Red Bull are keeping close tabs on Dunne’s situation with McLaren and have already held preliminary talks with the 19-year-old’s representatives. The Irishman has caught the eye with his F2 results this season, as well as F1 FP1 outings for the Woking crew.
Red Bull are studying Dunne’s situation as the Milton Keynes squad assess their options for their own and Racing Bulls’ F1 driver line-ups in 2026. Dunne would even be open to joining Red Bull, as Norris and Oscar Piastri are both locked in at McLaren through at least 2028.
McLaren do not want to lose Dunne and are already outlining tentative plans for his racing programme next year. The teenager would not be able to return to F2 if he wins the title in 2025, and he is still in contention with rounds in Italy, Azerbaijan, Qatar and Abu Dhabi left.
What has Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko said about McLaren junior Alex Dunne?
Photo by Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Dunne replaced Norris for FP1 in Austria and stood out with his blistering pace, after lapping the Red Bull Ring only 0.069s slower than Piastri. The Offaly native also stepped in for Piastri during FP1 in Italy this Friday, but a different run plan saw him lap 0.585s slower than Norris.
Now, Red Bull are showing an interest in Dunne, as his pace has caught the attention of their motorsport adviser, Helmut Marko. GPblog quotes the Austrian, who would not confirm Red Bull’s interest, proclaiming about Dunne: “We are talking with all fast drivers, and he is fast.”
Dunne stunned Alex Jacques with an “absolutely brilliant” F2 pole in Belgium in July, as well, as the McLaren junior added to his pole in Monaco from May. The Irishman also won the F2 Feature Races in Bahrain and Imola during what is his rookie campaign in F1’s feeder series.