Only Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar have contracts for 2026, reveals Helmut Marko

Red Bull Racing senior advisor Helmut Marko has revealed that only Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar have definitive contracts within the Austrian team's F1 umbrella in 2026. The contracts of both Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson will be expiring at the end of the ongoing season, and now have their future hanging in the balance.

Much has already changed within the Red Bull family this year with the exit of Christian Horner and the subsequent promotion of Laurent Mekies to the senior F1 outfit. Now, further variations are expected come 2026, especially with regards to the driver lineup.

It has been widely reported that Isack Hadjar is likely to be promoted to the Red Bull team to partner Max Verstappen next year. This will be a reward for the French-Algerian driver, who has taken to F1 like duck to water in his rookie season.

But the future hangs in the balance for Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson, who are both without a contract for 2026. Red Bull's senior advisor Helmut Marko has now revealed that their future at the team isn't certain as he claims that only Verstappen and Hadjar have definitive contracts for next year.

Speaking about when the decision will be made about the driver lineups of both Red Bull and Racing Bulls, Marko said:

"We deliberately want to take until the end of October, perhaps even longer, to have all the comparisons" [via Kleine Zeitung] "The only thing that's certain is that Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar have contracts. Where and in what position is still open, however," he added.

It has also been reported that Red Bull may promote junior driver Arvid Lindblad into the RB setup as Hadjar's replacement. If this happens, it would mean that Lawson and Tsunoda will be left to fight it out for just one seat, with one of them possibly missing out on an F1 berth altogether in 2026.

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Max Verstappen optimistic after Friday practice ahead of the F1 Azerbaijan GP

Max Verstappen with Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies - Grand Prix of Azerbaijan - Practice - Source: Getty

Max Verstappen was left in a positive mood after the first two practice sessions on Friday ahead of the Azerbaijan GP. The Dutchman shared that Red Bull was able to find a good balance with the RB21, something he feels is essential at Baku.

Speaking after FP2, Verstappen shared his honest feelings about the car and his chances in qualifying for the race.

"The car feels good, which is positive. We've found a stable balance on this rather specific track. That's what you need. Everything has to come together to drive a good lap," said Verstappen [via RacingNews365] "We're still a bit short on one flying lap; there's still more to be gained from the car and myself. Hopefully, that will go a bit better tomorrow," he added.

The 4x world champion then concluded by saying that he expects qualifying to be close between multiple teams, and claimed that it may well come down to the driver who puts in "a perfect lap" on Saturday.

Edited by Tushar Bahl