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Downwards Promotion: How New 2026 Regulations Impact Red Bull Racing’s Second Seat Dilemma

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The 2026 Formula 1 (“F1”) season will be transformative for all teams on the grid as the sport’s governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile’s (“FIA”), new technical regulations take effect.[2] At the heart of these changes, the FIA promises lighter, more agile cars allowing drivers to deliver more entertainment on track  and placing greater emphasis on facilitating overtakes. [3] While the redesign looks to provide closer racing between its traditionally most and least competitive teams, Oracle Red Bull Racing (“RBR”) turns away from the technical side to address their increased internal turmoil at the human level. In July of 2025, Christian Horner stepped down from his role as Team Principal after holding the position for RBR’s entire twenty-year tenure sport.[4] The move followed a shocking result at the Spanish Grand Prix, with the team securing only a single point between two drivers.[5]

 

Shortly after Horner’s departure, four-time world champion Max Verstappen ended long-standing rumors about a move to rival Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team, reiterating his intention to remain with RBR until his contract expires in 2028.[6] Yet the second RBR seat remains in contention. Since Verstappen joined RBR in 2016, six drivers have partnered with him as teammates: Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon, Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, and current teammate Yuki Tsunoda.[7] The team’s recent downturn in performance, in addition to the uncertainty of the new regulations, increases pressure on new Team Principal Laurent Mekies to select a competitive teammate for Verstappen. [8]

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The Red Bull “Second Seat Curse” 

F1 is unique in that it is both a team and an individual sport.[9] Two championships run simultaneously throughout the season: the team-focused Constructors' Championship (“The Constructors Title”), which combines points from each driver on a given team, and the individual drivers’ World Championship, given to the single driver with the most points earned.[10]

 

​The Constructors’ Title provides a significantly higher return on investment for teams, as half of the sport’s total commercial profits are distributed among the grid in proportion to each team’s final standings.[11] However, while it is often the outcome, a driver taking home the drivers’ World Championship is not a guarantee their team will also win The Constructors Title.  Accordingly, the team game is crucial for financing the next season’s technological improvements, especially in the first years of new regulations, as is the case in 2026.

 

 

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The gap between Verstappen and his teammates has become such a cliché that it has its own colloquialism: the “Second Seat Curse.” Teammates of Verstappen often fail to match his statistics, a trend that frequently sees them dropped mid-season, with the team citing performance issues.[13] Most recently, Liam Lawson, Verstappen’s initial teammate for the current season, was demoted from RBR after appearing in just two races before being demoted to the junior team.[14] 

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Legality of a “Junior Team”

Swapping drivers between RBR and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (“VCARB”), both owned by Austrian conglomerate Red Bull GmbH, is routine practice as RBR consistently struggles to secure a stable teammate for Verstappen that can match his performance.[15] The habitual driver swapping remains a contentious point within the paddock. Teams often question the competitive advantages that may arise from RBR’s relationship with VCARB as the FIA reforms its stance on Senior/Junior teams.

 

With the sport comprised of just ten teams movement of personal is a regular occurrence, especially for related teams such as RBR and VCARB. To maintain the confidentially of trade secrets, F1 teams routinely enforce up to twelve months’ “garden leave” after technical or leadership resignations, though the FIA does not formally require a mandatory timeframe.[16] 

 

The FIA has re-evaluated Section F, titled Operational Regulations for the upcoming 2026 regulations The updated section, F4.7 Movement of Personnel, states:

 

Each F1 Team must inform the FIA of all relevant staff movements at the end of each ATP using the template which may be found in the Guidance Documents (GD’s) and must demonstrate that they have implemented all reasonable measures to avoid the disclosure of information, data or designs between the F1 Teams involved.[17]

 

Laurent Mekies, current RBR team principal, did not observe garden leave following his promotion from VCARB, when replacing Horner.[18] Following the move,  critics like McLaren’s Andrea Stella urged the FIA and teams to hold  “constructive conversations” about the legality of the two[19] Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber’s Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley stated, “...it’s in our best interest to make sure that there’s some robust regulations based around [junior teams].[20]

 

The conversation thus far remains focused on technical staff. However, further scrutiny into the Senior/Junior dynamic may call into question the Red Bull family’s consistent decision to swap the most on-the-ground personnel in the team, the drivers. Of the above-discussed drivers, only Sergio Perez, 2021-24, entered the senior team without a previous stint driving for a RBR-affiliated team.[21]

 

Looking Behind to Look Ahead

The second RBR seat problem might have a far simpler explanation than supposed curses: the car is hard to drive. Atlassian Williams Racing driver Alex Albon spoke on his experience as Verstappen’s teammate on Jake Humphrey’s High Performance Podcast:

 

Then you’ve lost a little bit of confidence, it takes a little bit more time, that gap [to Verstappen] is growing a little bit, and the next time you try and go out and do another job, [it’s] another spin or another whatever – it just starts to snowball.[22]

 

Albon’s observations reflect the data. He finished 2019 nearly even with Verstappen but ended 2020 with just a third of the team’s points.

 

Red Bull leadership appears to have finally acknowledged these statements made by Albon, and other former teammates who voiced similar concerns, in the latter half of the 2025 season.[23] Mekies points to the 2026 regulations as an opportunity to reset the second seat issue, as both Max and his future teammate must adapt to a new car.[24]

 

VCARB driver Isack Hadjar sits higher in the standings than both teammate Lawson and RBR rival Tsunoda.[25] However, Meckies has assured the media that a mid-season swap between Hadjar and Tsunoda will not occur, citing fears of the senior team harming the rookie’s progress.[26] 

 

Ultimately, Red Bull Racing's challenge remains finding a second driver who can excel alongside Verstappen and break the “Second Seat Curse.” With the 2026 regulations looming, reducing dependence on Racing Bulls as a driver source may offer a novel solution. Perhaps more likely, RBR will continue to star-search among their juniors hoping to cultivate another homegrown superstar in the mold of Verstappen.


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Erin Duffy (staff writer) is a 2L from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, she worked as a Case Manager at a personal injury firm, where she discovered her interest in law. While at Villanova, she is a Student Ambassador representing clients in the Villanova Tax Clinic. After graduation, Erin hopes to have a career in Estate Planning. In the meantime, she can often be found spreading the word of motorsport as a devoted fan of Haas F1 Team.



References:

[1] Emmanuel Viard. Flickr: Bravo Max Verstappen. (October 25. 2021).

[2] Lawrence Barretto. FIA unveils Formula 1 regulations for 2026 and beyond featuring more agile cars and active aerodynamics. (June, 6. 2024). https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/fia-unveils-formula-1-regulations-for-2026-and-beyond-featuring-more-agile.75qJiYOHXgeJqsVQtDr2UB

[3] Id.

[4] F1 Authors. Horner to exit Red Bull with immediate effect with Mekies taking over as CEO. (July, 9. 2025). https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/horner-to-exit-red-bull-with-immediate-effect-as-mekies-takes-over-as-ceo.4Rd4H69v5sIkhPF0XCbf7N

[5] Laurence Edmondson. Max Verstappen to stay at Red Bull for 2026: 'Time to stop the rumours'. (July, 31. 2025). https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/45868131/max-verstappen-stay-red-bull-2026

[6] Id.

[8] F1 Authors. Horner to exit Red Bull with immediate effect with Mekies taking over as CEO. (July 9. 2025). https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/horner-to-exit-red-bull-with-immediate-effect-as-mekies-takes-over-as-ceo.4Rd4H69v5sIkhPF0XCbf7N

[9] F1 Authors. The beginner’s guide to the F1 Constructors’ Championship. (2025). https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/the-beginners-guide-to-the-f1-constructors-championship.66nTfWSqrUYv3bnbosPkHV

[10] Id.

[11] Aisha Sembhi. What's the F1 constructors' championship and what are the prizes?. (Dec, 9. 2024). https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/articles/cp83kpe9d93o

[12] Anna Francis. IN NUMBERS: How Verstappen’s team mates fared against him with Tsunoda the latest to step up. (March, 26. 2025). https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/in-numbers-how-verstappens-team-mates-fared-against-him-with-lawson-the.2A7zHcadkyis7TvNGLnbmm

[13] Id.

[14] F1 Authors. Lawson ‘surprised’ by early Red Bull demotion as he vows to ‘prove I belong here’ amid Racing Bulls return. (Apr, 3. 2025). https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/lawson-surprised-by-early-red-bull-demotion-as-he-vows-to-prove-i-belong.2pMvYPXsUrRqtkVmrT1J6I

[15] Id.

[16] Roberto Chinchero. Does gardening leave in Formula 1 still make sense? (Sept, 9. 2024). https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/does-gardening-leave-in-formula-1-still-make-sense/10652704/

[17] FIA 2026 F1 Regulations - Section F [Operational] (July, 31 2025). https://www.fia.com/regulation/category/110

[18] Darshan Chokhani. F1 team bosses opine on potential mandatory gardening leave rule. (Aug, 20. 2025). (https://formularapida.net/en/f1-team-bosses-opine-on-potential-mandatory-gardening-leave-rule/

[19] Id.

[20] Id.

[21] F1 Authors. Sergio Perez Biography. (2025) https://www.formula1.com/en/drivers/sergio-perez.

[22] F1 Authors. ‘It’s eye-watering’ – Albon shares the secrets of Verstappen’s unique driving style. (Dec, 4. 2023). https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/its-eye-watering-albon-shares-the-secrets-of-verstappens-unique-driving.3Dlce2QkRGzUDLMtDf3dOs

[23] Oleg Karpov. Why promoting Hadjar for F1 2026 would be Red Bull repeating the same mistake. (Sep, 17. 2025). https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/hadjar-red-bull-f1-2026/10760098/

[24]Id.

[25] F1 Authors. 'We do not plan to change during the season' – Mekies insists Red Bull will not swap Tsunoda for Hadjar in 2025. (Sep, 6. 2025). https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/we-do-not-plan-to-change-during-the-season-mekies-insists-red-bull-will-not.4mRntJVKyZyxqOmkumIVA4

[26] Id.


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