Racing Bulls team boss Alan Permane has spoken about the driver selection for 2026, a decision that is still completely open. Rookie Isack Hadjar is making an impression within the Red Bull family, while Arvid Lindblad is on standby – but who will actually step into the cars next year may only be decided after the final Grand Prix of the season. According to Permane, that choice is not up to him.
Both Red Bull and Racing Bulls are the only teams that still need to secure drivers for 2026. Max Verstappen is already assured of his seat at Red Bull next year. Both teams are waiting until the last moment with their final decision. According to Permane, this delay has nothing to do with next year’s new regulations. “No, not at all. It has nothing to do with the new rules,” he told Motorsport.com. “We are in an exciting battle for the sixth place, while Red Bull is fighting hard for the second place in the constructors’ championship. We just want stability, and that can last until the end of the season. We don’t know what’s going to happen, so it could be that you only know for sure who it will be on Monday morning after Abu Dhabi. But that decision is not up to me.”
Permane emphasizes that an experienced driver is always of great value. “Experience always counts. Nothing beats speed of course… but experience will undoubtedly help for next year,” he said. At the same time, he acknowledges that with the new regulations, experience alone is not enough. “No one has experience with the new rules,” explains Permane. “There will be a tremendous amount of simulator work to follow, and as soon as this season is over, that will only increase.”
Hadjar and Lindblad Impress
Racing Bulls, the sister team of Red Bull, is known for training drivers for the parent team. Rookie Isack Hadjar is performing excellently and is seen as a possible successor to Yuki Tsunoda. The Frenchman even achieved a podium in Zandvoort. Formula 2 driver Arvid Lindblad is also making an impression within the Red Bull family. Although he currently ranks seventh in the Formula 2 championship with 109 points, the British-Swedish driver has shown his speed with multiple strong results: he won the sprint race in Saudi Arabia, becoming the youngest Formula 2 winner ever. He also took second places in the sprint races in Imola and Monza, and won the main race in Spain. With these results, he is in the spotlight for a future Formula 1 career.
