Oct.26 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says Red Bull will confirm its 2026 driver plans “after the Grand Prix” – with teenage prodigy Arvid Lindblad now virtually certain to be promoted to the Racing Bulls lineup.
The 18-year-old impressed on Friday in Mexico when he took over Max Verstappen’s car for FP1 and even lapped faster than Yuki Tsunoda. “That certainly wasn’t pleasant for Tsunoda,” Marko admitted to Kleine Zeitung.
Marko praised Lindblad’s composure under pressure.
“He stayed cool, even though everyone told him he couldn’t damage the car – we only had one underbody,” he said. “So he wasn’t allowed to scratch it, and he was still the fastest rookie.”
Lindblad is now almost guaranteed a full-time Racing Bulls seat from 2026, replacing Isack Hadjar – who is expected to graduate to Red Bull Racing. That leaves Tsunoda and Liam Lawson vying for a single remaining seat.
“We will assess everything after the Grand Prix and then announce everything,” Marko confirmed on Saturday in Mexico.
Tsunoda’s recent inconsistency – despite an upward trend – appears to be hurting his case. “Tsunoda dropped out of contention in the second session, finishing 11th,” Marko said after qualifying. “He’s gradually improving – his results continue to trend upward – but he’s always further behind in qualifying than in races.
“He needs to learn to control that.”
Former team driver Sergio Perez – attending his home race ahead of his 2026 comeback with Cadillac – says he’s not surprised by how difficult Tsunoda and Lawson found life inside the main Red Bull team.
“As soon as the separation from Red Bull was finalised, I knew that the poor guy who came to Red Bull Racing would be helpless – because I had barely managed to survive in a very difficult environment,” Perez told reporters in Mexico.
The Mexican explained that being Verstappen’s teammate is a uniquely punishing task. “It’s very difficult to drive alongside Max. Most people don’t understand that,” he said.
“I could talk so much about it, but let’s just leave it at this – there’s no driver who could compete with Max. Whether you put Hamilton or Leclerc in the car, they’d all be screwed.”
Perez said the challenge stems largely from Verstappen’s extreme setup preferences. Like Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, Verstappen thrives on a car that gives maximum front-end feel – even if it makes the rear nervous.
“You have to adapt to Max’s driving style,” Perez explained. “It’s not that the car handles badly, but the balance is very special. And if you don’t drive it like he does, you’re completely lost.
“There are so many things that outsiders don’t realise. It’s not just about driving fast – it’s also about dealing with the pressure and expectations. It’s really tough. And that’s why I say, no driver can just show up at Red Bull and expect everything to run like clockwork.”
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