The latest F1 news cycle is dominated by discussion around Red Bull Racing’s end-of-season decisions, particularly the way the team revealed changes to its driver lineup for the 2026 campaign. As Formula 1 wraps up one of its most dramatic seasons in recent memory — with a close title fight right down to the final race — questions have emerged over whether Red Bull acted too early and too publicly in confirming driver moves before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix had even taken place.
Timing of Driver Announcements Under Scrutiny
At the centre of the debate is Red Bull’s decision to announce that Yuki Tsunoda would not retain his race seat for 2026. Tsunoda, who partners Max Verstappen for the 2025 season, learned that he would be replaced next year before the season finale. Critics have suggested that this premature announcement could have negatively influenced team morale and potentially even the championship outcome for Verstappen. Historically, F1 teams have occasionally confirmed driver departures ahead of time, such as Lewis Hamilton’s long-publicised exit from Mercedes, but doing so in the same week as a title fight is unusual and highly conspicuous.
There is speculation that the timing of the news might have been distracting — not just for Tsunoda, but for Verstappen as well. With the Dutch driver narrowly trailing his main rival in the championship, any internal uncertainty or focus on off-track developments could, some commentators argue, have detracted from the team’s single-minded pursuit of points. Red Bull, though, has defended the call, suggesting that announcing changes early gives clarity and allows the team to focus on preparation for the next year. Whatever the intent, observers across the paddock have weighed in on whether this was wise strategic communication or a misstep in judgement.
New Teammate Sparks Viral Reaction
Alongside that story, much attention has been paid to Max Verstappen’s new teammate for 2026: Isack Hadjar. The young French driver impressed during his rookie year at F1’s sister team, Racing Bulls, earning himself a coveted opportunity to step up into the Red Bull main squad alongside Verstappen in the coming season. But despite his close ties with Red Bull’s driver academy and his rapid rise through the junior ranks, Hadjar’s personal history with one of the sport’s most infamous races made headlines in an entirely different way.
During a recent podcast appearance, Hadjar was asked about his memories of the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — the race where Max Verstappen famously overtook Lewis Hamilton on the very last lap after a disputed safety car intervention. In recounting his reaction to that event, Hadjar revealed that he had been watching alone at home at the time and had become so frustrated by the result that he “smashed the TV.” Specifically, he admitted to impulsively hitting the television screen in his room — an emotional and visceral reaction to seeing his childhood hero, Lewis Hamilton, lose out on what many believed should have been his eighth world championship.
Hadjar explained that in 2021 — the same year he entered the Red Bull driver development programme — he was fully supporting Hamilton’s bid for the title. His enthusiasm for Hamilton was not kept secret; Hadjar openly admired the seven-time champion and counted him as his greatest influence growing up in motorsport. Even though his professional ties later led him into the Red Bull family, his genuine admiration for Hamilton endured, and that emotional connection surfaced again when reflecting on the historic title decider.
Despite this, Hadjar also acknowledged a sense of conflict: while he felt frustration on behalf of Hamilton, he was still happy for Red Bull as an organisation because it had given him the chance to pursue his own F1 dreams. In his telling, these “mixed feelings” were entirely natural — not just loyalty to a childhood hero, but gratitude toward a team that had helped shape his career and offered him a path to Formula 1.
Challenges and Expectations Moving Forward
Hadjar’s candid recollection of smashing his television over a race that had so much historical resonance in the sport quickly spread across social media and became one of the more colourful stories on F1 news boards. But beyond the viral clip, the reaction underscores something deeper: the complicated nature of driver allegiances and fan identities within Formula 1. A driver can simultaneously respect a team that nurtures their career while also harbouring nostalgia, admiration, and emotional connection to a rival icon from a defining moment in the sport’s past.
Looking ahead to 2026, Hadjar’s transition from junior talent to Verstappen’s teammate will be watched with curiosity and skepticism. Taking on a seat next to one of the most successful drivers of the modern era is a massive challenge, and Red Bull’s record with second drivers has been mixed at best over the years. Those debates — about how difficult it is to be Verstappen’s teammate, about whether anyone can thrive alongside him and whether Red Bull management handles driver dynamics effectively — continue to swirl beyond just the headline about broken screens.
Wider F1 Context
Finally, these developments at Red Bull arrive against the backdrop of a highly competitive F1 season that saw the championship battle go down to the wire. Verstappen and his rivals traded blows across 2025, with the title undecided until the season finale. Whether early management decisions, driver announcements, or team morale contributed to the final standings has become a topic of intense analysis and debate among fans and pundits alike.
In summary, Red Bull’s end-of-season news cycle has blended strategic questioning with viral personal anecdotes. The team’s choice to reveal lineup changes before the final race raised eyebrows, and the personal story from Hadjar about his reaction to a pivotal moment from F1 history added a human and unexpected angle to the coverage. As the sport looks forward to next season, both the tactical decisions of team management and the individual journeys of drivers like Hadjar will be significant talking points across the F1 world.
