Red Bull has now changed its driver lineup for the 2025 season in both of its teams, following the departure of Sergio Perez.
Liam Lawson has now graduated to Red Bull and will partner with Max Verstappen, while Isack Hadjar has replaced him at Racing Bulls and will partner with Yuki Tsunoda.
Hadjar is seen as the next talent from Red Bull, having just missed out on the Formula 2 title to rival and Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto.
Red Bull has effectively snubbed the experienced Tsunoda in favour of promoting Lawson, however, Horner has clarified that the Japanese driver remains in their pool should he be needed shortly.
Whether Red Bull decides to promote Tsunoda is the key question to his future, but there could be another driver that the team is now bigging up who may end up replacing him at Racing Bulls according to journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm speaking on The Race podcast.
Arvid Lindblad now being talked about in the same way as Max Verstappen
Red Bull is never short on young talent because of its Young Driver programme managed by Helmut Marko, but equally, it has seen many drivers come and go over the years.
Their latest talent coming through the ranks is British driver Arvid Lindblad, who is currently contesting the Formula Regional Oceana series ahead of his F2 debut this year.
Mitchell-Malm believes the British talent is likely to be in line for a seat in the near future, and has revealed how people within the team are now talking about him.
“Red Bull thinks really highly of Lindblad, last year there was all that hurrah on the exemption over the super licence and there was a lot of questions over what Antonelli would do, but it was all about Red Bull and Lindblad,” said Mitchell-Malm.
“Red Bull are talking about him in a way that I don’t think I’ve heard them talk about a driver like that since Verstappen. There was a point when Marko was talking really enthusiastically about Tsunoda when his F3 season getting going and he was impressing in F2, but this is a bit more than that.”
What one paddock insider believes about Yuki Tsunoda’s future beyond 2025
Tsunoda’s future at Red Bull beyond 2025 could be in doubt, given various factors that might impact the Japanese driver.
Part of the reason why he is in at Racing Bulls is down to Red Bull’s previous engine agreement with Honda, but that is set to change in 2026 when the team switches to its own in-house power units developed in conjunction with Ford.
This means the obligation to have Tsunoda in the car is no longer applicable, although it’s not like he hasn’t been delivering results. He outclassed both Lawson and Daniel Ricciardo last season, however, Horner is not keen on promoting him alongside Verstappen.
Tsunoda has suggested that he could see a future for himself at Aston Martin, although it remains to be seen whether that will encompass a full-time driver role should he get the opportunity.
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