Red Bull is closely watching a rising F1 star as questions about Max Verstappen’s future come up.
Red Bull is at the center of a lot of talk about the future of Max Verstappen, the four-time Formula 1 world champion. They might be thinking about what happens if he leaves the team.
Max is 28 years old and has a contract with Red Bull until 2028. But there’s a special clause that lets him leave next season if he’s not in the top two in the drivers’ championship by the summer break. After his car failed to finish at Silverstone recently, he’s now seventh in the standings, making that early exit more likely.
Verstappen’s frustration with the team is becoming clearer with every problem on the track. There’s even talk about a possible swap deal with McLaren, where Oscar Piastri could move to Red Bull, and Max might head to McLaren.
If Verstappen does leave, Red Bull has other options. During the live Sky Sports F1 coverage at Silverstone, commentator David Croft mentioned one: Ollie Bearman, a 21-year-old British driver at Haas. Ollie has scored 18 points this year and even got a chance to race with Ferrari once in 2024.
Croft explained, “Right behind us is the Red Bull hospitality area. Laurent Mekies, Ferrari’s team principal, signed Ollie to their Academy. Red Bull is watching Ollie closely. If Ferrari can’t take him, Red Bull might offer him a spot.”
Former driver Martin Brundle also spoke about Ollie, saying he’s doing well but might face some challenges. Ferrari is more stable now, with Charles Leclerc re-signed and Lewis Hamilton planning to stay for a while. This makes it harder for Ollie to get into a factory Ferrari team.
Brundle added, “Haas is the smallest team and has struggled to keep up. Ollie is driving really well and putting pressure on his teammate Esteban Ocon, but he’s a bit stuck right now. He might need a Plan B.”
Ollie’s best race this year was a fifth place in the Chinese Grand Prix. Since then, he’s only finished in the top 10 once, in Canada. He has earned enough points to be 12th in the drivers’ standings, ahead of his teammate Ocon by five places.
Haas is fifth from the bottom in the Constructors’ Championship, with only Sauber and Alpine behind them. It’s been a tough season for them so far.