Red Bull 'Confirm' Driver Change Abu Dhabi With Replacement Set for Grand Prix Debut

Red Bull will replace one of their drivers during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend ahead of the rookie's F1 race debut.

In just one week the 2025 Formula One season will come to an end as the grid line up for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Unless Lando Norris is able to come away from the Qatar Grand Prix with a race win, therefore securing the Drivers' Championship title, then most of the discussion heading into Abu Dhabi will focus on the title race.

However, with it being the last race of 2025, many will also start to look ahead to the upcoming 2026 season which is expected to see several new drivers join the grid.

And now it has been revealed that one of them will replace a Red Bull driver during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race weekend.

Yuki Tsunoda is currently under pressure at Red Bull Racing. (Image: Getty)

Ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz revealed that Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar will displace Tsunoda at Red Bull next season.

With Hadjar leaving Racing Bulls, it is expected that Red Bull youngster Arvid Lindblad is expected to be handed his debut F1 seat, meaning Tsunoda will lose his place on the grid.

But it appears that Tsunoda will also have to sit out for Free Practice 1 in Abu Dhabi as Red Bull have confirmed to GP Blog that the 18-year-old will take over the Japanese driver’s seat for the session.

In 2025, all Formula 1 teams must give at least two first free practice sessions to a ‘rookie driver’ in each car.

Typically, this means that teams will select four race weekends to put a rookie driver in one of their two seats, keeping a regular driver in the car per session.

Arvid Lindblad will drive for Red Bull in FP1 at Abu Dhabi. (Image: Getty)

At Red Bull, championship hopeful Max Verstappen has already given up two sessions, in Bahrain and Mexico to Ayumu Iwasa and Lindblad, while Lindblad also replaced Tsunoda for FP1 at Silverstone.

Meanwhile at Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson will make way for Iwasa for the second time this season, with Hadjar not needing to give up his seat given the fact 2025 was his first season in F1.