Red Bull to confirm 2026 lineup after Qatar, not Abu Dhabi

Red Bull’s long-awaited driver decision will arrive sooner than expected, with Laurent Mekies revealing the team will announce its 2026 lineup immediately after this weekend’s Qatar GP.

Dr Helmut Marko had previously indicated the call would be made only after Abu Dhabi, but Mekies told reporters in Las Vegas: "We will announce our lineup immediately after Qatar.

"Just one more week of patience," he smiled.

The news has heightened tension in the garage, particularly for Yuki Tsunoda, whose future remains uncertain. The Japanese driver admitted he is "nervous" about the situation, with the risk of being left without a race seat - potentially ending up as an Aston Martin reserve at best.

"It’s just a similar situation as last year or even two years ago, so to be honest, I got used to it. That’s part of Formula 1," Tsunoda said.

"The good thing is I had experience with that situation a lot of times. I know what I have to do for the next few races. In the end, those decisions I can’t control, right?"

Tsunoda had shown some encouraging signs in Las Vegas despite a poor race even the team admitted was caused by a wrong setup choice.

"Multiple times - FP1, FP2, FP3 - in multiple laps I was ahead of Max in performance runs," he said. "I think that’s something we didn’t see for a long time.

"Obviously one of his strengths is he brings the car to another level in qualifying. But I had confidence as well that I could perform better than in previous weekends.

"These things happen. I guess people noticed it. But what I want is a result - and the team as well. We can’t keep pointing like this. We need to tidy it up for Qatar."

Despite Tsunoda’s progress, it is widely understood that Isack Hadjar is the favourite for the 2026 Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen.

In contrast to Tsunoda, Hadjar said he feels no nerves about the process.

"Actually, I’d like to know at the end of the year," he told reporters. "Because it’s more annoying than anything - the noise.

"Twelve months ago I was a bit unsure, that’s true. I had an idea, but this year I’m in a better position. I know I’m in Formula 1 next year. Last year I didn’t know what I was doing, so I’m a lot less panicked now."