There are still six seats yet to be allocated for the 2026 F1 season. 

Mercedes is yet to make an official announcement, however it is widely expected that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will continue with the team.

One drive is secured at Red Bull, as Max Verstappen committed his 2026 campaign to the Milton Keynes-based squad, ending rife speculation over a potential exit.

But the identity of his team-mate has not yet been formalised, and at the Red Bull family, there are four drivers fighting for three seats.

Yuki Tsunoda was promoted to Red Bull early this season, but has been struggling for form since jumping behind the RB21, with point-scoring results a rarity.

Tsunoda is no doubt in danger of losing his seat, especially considering the strong performances of rookie Isack Hadjar at the sister Racing Bulls team.

Even before his impressive maiden podium finish at Zandvoort earlier this year, the Frenchman was being linked with promotion to Red Bull. 

Team advisor Helmut Marko, who manages the team’s famous driver programme, is known to be a big fan of the 20-year-old, who is now favoured to be Verstappen’s team-mate next year.

Racing Bulls

But a final decision has not yet been made, and it does not appear likely to come until October.

Should Hadjar be promoted, two seats remain open at Racing Bulls. 

Up to now, the general view was that Tsunoda would leave the Red Bull family if he lost his seat, but even that is not certain. 

The Japanese driver could also be moved back to Racing Bulls, where Lawson is also now driving.

The situation largely revolves around Arvid Lindblad, Red Bull’s next-in-line talent, competing in Formula 2. 

The Briton is on course to be promoted, but within Red Bull, there are some doubts. Lindblad is experiencing a mixed debut season in F2 and is also alleged to have crashed recently at a TPC test from Monza.

Additionally, the regulations will be changed next year which could make it extra difficult for rookies.

In spite of this, Marko in particular seems to want to give Lindblad a chance, which would be at the expense of Lawson or Tsunoda. 

Lawson is slowly starting to perform better after his abrupt demotion from Red Bull earlier this year, while for Tsunoda, it remains to be seen whether Red Bull wish to keep hold of him in their driver pool.

Tsunoda has also had some mild interest from Alpine, another team that is yet to confirm its second seat for 2026.

Red Bull’s puzzle is slowly being put together, and the pieces should be in place well before the season comes to a conclusion in December.