Red Bull faces big challenge finding a long-term Max Verstappen replacement, a major setback for their rival
Red Bull Racing is reportedly keeping an eye on Oliver Bearman as a potential driver, especially with some uncertainty around Max Verstappen’s future.
Verstappen is signed with Red Bull until 2028, but his contract lets him leave if he’s not in the top two of the Drivers’ Championship by the summer break. That time has now started, and right now, Verstappen is sixth in the standings after finishing second at the Hungarian Grand Prix last month.
No one has announced what Verstappen will do next, as Red Bull is trying to offer the four-time world champion a better contract that would remove that exit clause. With so much up in the air, there are plenty of rumors about driver changes, and Verstappen’s decision will impact a lot in the sport.
One driver in the spotlight is Bearman. Sky Sports F1 says Red Bull sees the 21-year-old as a future option and might go after him if they lose Verstappen early. Bearman joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2022 and was the youngest ever to race for Ferrari’s program, but he’s been racing full-time with Haas since last year. He’s signed with Haas until at least the end of this season, but he might move on afterward.
Since Ferrari’s current lineup is full, Bearman could be tempted by the chance to join Red Bull’s Racing Bulls team, which has been a stepping stone for young Red Bull drivers into F1 for the past 20 years. The best performers often get promoted to Red Bull’s main team.
Bearman isn’t the only name up for grabs, though. Sky Sports also mentions Carlos Sainz as a top candidate to replace Verstappen. Plus, Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad and F2 driver Nikola Tsolov might be options, although pairing either with Isack Hadjar would be a big gamble.
This week, Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane told Formule1.nl that Verstappen’s situation at Red Bull doesn’t affect what his team is doing. “For my team, nothing changes because Max doesn’t drive for us,” he said. “If you want to know about Red Bull’s plans, you need to ask Laurent Mekies. He decides who drives for Red Bull next season. That’s not my call.”