Formula 1: 3 candidates to be the next young Red Bull driver

Yuki Tsunoda’s time as a member of the Red Bull family could be coming to a close soon, as the Japanese driver is set to get snubbed for a seat at the top team in 2025.

The 24-year-old’s contract is due to expire at the end of the 2025 Formula 1 season, and he will likely look to move elsewhere, given the fact that Honda's partnership with Red Bull is set to come to an end as well.

Red Bull are known for staying in-house when it comes to choosing drivers for their main and sister teams. Over the years, their talent pipeline has produced many amazing drivers, such as Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen, Alex Albon, and Pierre Gasly.

Even at this time, Red Bull have more than 10 drivers as part of their junior team, and all of them are looking to climb through the ranks. Looking forward to the 2026 Formula 1 season, a potential open seat at RB could be an extra motivation for the organization's drivers in Formula 2 next year.

Three Red Bull drivers to battle it out in 2025

Next season should feature a tough battle between three of Red Bull’s junior drivers in Formula 2. Pepe Marti is the current favorite to earn a seat at RB in 2026, as Oliver Goethe and Arvid Lindblad are both set to debut as full-time drivers in the series.

Marti finished the 2024 season on a high note, as he achieved his first career victory in Formula 2 by winning the sprint race in Abu Dhabi. The weekend also marked the Spanish driver’s first double points weekend since the opening race weekend of the season in Bahrain.

Though Goethe has a chance of being the most successful of the three next year, not much is expected from the German driver. He has only finished in the top three in a series championship once in his career, back in 2022 when he won the Euroformula Open Championship.

Lindblad, however, is a genuine contender for a seat at RB in 2026. Despite the fact that he is only 17 years old, he has had a stellar karting career which has continued into his single-seater career.

The 2024 season was only his first in Formula 3, and he managed to finish in fourth place in the standings with four wins, which earned him a promotion to Formula 2. He has been drawing attention from several high-ranking individuals, with even Helmut Marko holding the British driver in high regard.

Red Bull are fortunate to be in this position, where a battle between some of their top young junior drivers could determine who ends up driving for RB in 2026. Pepe Marti, Oliver Goethe, and Arvid Lindblad are the top three drivers to watch in 2025.