Kiwi Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson remains one of the only drivers on the current grid without a confirmed seat for next year, but is expected to learn his future in the coming days.
Following Monday's Qatar Grand Prix, Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies said the 2026 driver line-up will be announced Tuesday (Wednesday NZT).
"All I can tell you is that we will in fact stick to our plan and we will announce on Tuesday what the driver line-up is," Mekies told media.
"We are confident it will not disturb the focus in Abu Dhabi."
It comes after the seat announcement was delayed. The team initially said it would confirm its 2026 plans at the end of October this year but pushed it back after Max Verstappen emerged as a competitor for this season's title.
Verstappen is the only Red Bull driver to have his seat confirmed for next year, with the four-time world champion contracted at Red Bull Racing until 2028.
Lawson's teammate Isack Hadjar has been rumoured to make the jump to the senior team alongside Verstappen next year, after a successful rookie campaign saw him deliver consistently good results, including a podium finish at Zandvoort.
Hadjar spoke during the Qatar Grand Prix media day, telling reporters that he was "confident" about his future in the sport.
“Last year I didn’t really know if I was going to F1, and now I know I’ll be on the grid next year. Already, it’s a big step," the French driver said.
18-year-old Formula 2 driver Arvid Lindblad is expected to join the Racing Bulls team next year in place of Hadjar, filling the second of the three remaining seats.
That would leave the final Red Bull backed seat open for either Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda, who was formerly teammates with the Kiwi until replacing him at Red Bull's senior team after just two races this season.
On paper, Lawson has had a stronger season than Tsunoda - who has struggled to perform in the top team - but the two have been fairly even throughout the season on points.
Lawson currently sits 14th in the World Driver's Standings with 38 points, with Tsunoda trailing behind in 15th with 33 points.
Tsunoda's position in Formula 1 has always been linked to engine supplier Honda, who are departing Red Bull for Aston Martin at the end of this season.
Tsunoda is also understood to be linked with the American IndyCar series.
Ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, the Japanese driver told media he "knew something" about his future in the sport that he couldn't share.
"But most people already know it," a despondent-sounding Tsunoda said.
The 2025 Formula 1 season ends on Monday morning, with a dramatic three-way title fight showdown in Abu Dhabi (2am NZT) between Verstappen and McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
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