The 2025 Formula 1 season has already seen a mix of drivers replaced, with Alpine and Red Bull electing to change their lineups after the first few races.
Red Bull replaced Liam Lawson for Yuki Tsunoda after two races, while Alpine has now put Franco Colapinto in after six races in place of Jack Doohan.
While the Argentine is expected to help Alpine improve their fortunes, Alpine could face a problem with Colapinto further down the line, as he is still linked to Williams with his multi-year loan deal.
Discussing the future of what the grid might look like in 2026 on the Red Flags podcast, Guenther Steiner believes one experienced driver could be out of a seat if he doesn’t improve in the second half of 2025.
Guenther Steiner predicts Yuki Tsunoda will lose his seat in 2026
Tsunoda signed a contract extension with Red Bull to stay at Racing Bulls through to the end of 2025, before potentially being released.
Part of the reason why Tsunoda is tied to them until the end of this season is down to the agreement Red Bull has with power unit manufacturer Honda.
Steiner expects Red Bull will likely drop Tsunoda anyway if he continues to make mistakes, especially given how well Isack Hadjar is performing at Racing Bulls.
Steiner: “He’s doing a very good job at Racing Bulls. Yuki makes mistakes, he needs to pull his socks up otherwise he is gone as well. You know how long it took for him to get into this car? It needed Liam Lawson to fail to get him in there and Hadjar, he’s just beating Liam Lawson in the Racing Bull, it’s not even comparable. I think he’s got a big chance to be in that car next year.
Host: “But that’s impossible, where does Yuki go?”
Steiner: “On the streets of Tokyo. I’d hope for him but you have to talk about what is happening now.”
Red Bull faces a problem if they promote Isack Hadjar
Hadjar has impressed with Racing Bulls this season, having bounced back from his embarrassing mistake in Melbourne on his debut.
The Frenchman has been praised by Lewis Hamilton who called him his ‘favourite’ rookie of 2025, while David Coulthard thinks Hadjar has ‘outperformed’ his expectations so far this season.
Red Bull could give him an early promotion alongside Max Verstappen, should the Dutchman stay at the team, in 2026 but they could face a potential issue.
Unless Racing Bulls keep Liam Lawson, they could be without an experienced driver in 2026. Arvid Lindblad has been tipped for a seat, but there aren’t any obvious choices beyond the British driver who could replace Hadjar.
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