Max Verstappen and Red Bull facing HUGE risk to F1 success

Red Bull

Max Verstappen and Red Bull facing HUGE risk to F1 success

Red Bull's number two woes might carry on

Jude Short

Saturday 8 March 2025 18:57

Max Verstappen has been Formula 1 and Red Bull's shining star for almost a decade now.

Verstappen has picked up four F1 world championships in his time at Red Bull - including a controversial title in 2021 - while two constructors' championships have been won by the team.

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But last year saw a change. Despite success on the driver side, with Verstappen winning his fourth championship in 2024, Red Bull finished a rather underwhelming third in the constructor standings.

This lack of team performance overall was predominantly due to the underperformance of Verstappen's 2024 team-mate Sergio Perez, who was dropped by the team for Liam Lawson at the start of 2025.

23-year-old Lawson is a talented driver, and showed that during his time in F2, but he could become the latest in a string of casualties that has seen Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and Sergio Perez all demoted or released from the number two Red Bull seat.

So here at GPFans, we have taken a look at four drivers who could partner Verstappen in the future that might pose a threat to not only their own careers, but Red Bull as a whole.

Liam Lawson might have taken the wrong step

Liam Lawson was the driver chosen to replace Perez for the 2025 season

The only driver in this list who is guaranteed to partner Verstappen is New Zealander Lawson, with the Kiwi having signed a contract at the Austrian team for 2025.

An impressive Formula 2 showing in 2022 saw Lawson finishing third in the series. A season in Japan competing in Super Formula followed, before becoming Racing Bulls' reserve driver - and making 11 grand Prix appearances - in 2023 and 2024.

The move to Red Bull from their sister team at this point in his career could be detrimental - with many thinking the seat should have gone to Racing Bulls' star Yuki Tsunoda instead.

Lawson has taken a huge leap into the unknown, without having grit his teeth in the F1 mid-pack with Racing Bulls. A jump from a reserve driver at a lesser team to the number two role at F1's most successful team this decade could leave him feeling like a fish out of water.

Only having one year on his contract is a worry as well. A disappointing season will most likely see Lawson demoted to Racing Bulls, but the success of two other drivers further down this list might mean Lawson is left without a seat entirely for 2026.

Red Bull are not widely predicted to top the constructors' standings this year with Lawson as their partner for Verstappen - with McLaren, Ferrari, and even Williams expected to reign victorious instead.

Yuki Tsunoda's age is an issue

Yuki Tsunoda has been in Formula 1 since 2021

Japanese hot-head Yuki Tsunoda entered the Racing Bulls (then AlphaTauri) fray in 2021, and in four seasons since has proven himself to be reliable and responsible when on the track - despite the occasional outburst.

It was seen as somewhat unfair by fans of F1 when Red Bull opted for the inexperienced Lawson ahead of Tsunoda for the 2025 season, and he will stay at their sister team for this season.

But if Tsunoda is given the promotion to Red Bull in 2026, he will be 26. This is not old by any stretch, but makes him neither a budding star like Lawson or a well-tenured veteran like Perez.

If he is allowed two to three seasons at the team, but those years are not filled with sucess, Tsunoda could leave Red Bull in his late 20s without any of the current hype his name possesses.

Again, this would damage Red Bull. While struggling for 2025 is not of any help to the team, long term failure would cause their reputation to sour and perhaps cause Verstappen to depart the team altogether.

Budding talent could go elsewhere

Isack Hadjar (pictured, right) will partner Yuki Tsunoda in 2025.

Two drivers, both under the age of 21, might be tempted to join rival teams if Red Bull experience continued struggles over the next few years.

The first of these prospects is Isack Hadjar, who is contracted to Racing Bulls in 2025 alongside Yuki Tsunoda.

Hadjar, 20, came runner-up in last year's F2 championship to Audi/Sauber-bound Gabriel Bortoleto, will want to make a good start to life at Red Bull's sister team.

But in a scenario where Red Bull are not top of the pack within the next few years, Hadjar might move elsewhere to avoid affecting his career in the long run.

It would make sense for Hadjar to consider flirting with French-British outfit Alpine - Hadjar himself is French and nicknamed 'le petit Prost' in his home nation - and the team clearly likes promoting native drivers, with an all-French line-up of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly in 2024.

This could mean Red Bull losing one of their top talents for the foreseeable future, and might make a significant impact on the Red Bull Academy as a whole.

But Hadjar might not be the only talented driver the team could lose...

Arvid Lindblad might be the next Lewis Hamilton

Arvid Lindblad is one of the Red Bull academy's biggest talents

Arvid Lindblad, the 17-year-old Briton came fourth with PREMA in Formula 3 last season, and will make the step up to F2 for this year with Campos.

If Lindblad has a successful season in F2, an opportunity in F1 might become available if a seat is free.

With Lawson and Hadjar both being Red Bull rookies that will assumedly be given more than one season at their respective teams, it might see Lindblad depart the Red Bull academy altogether to sign with another team.

He might be inspired to do so by fellow F1 star Oscar Piastri, who famously announced he would leave Alpine's F1 academy to race for McLaren in 2022.

It is unlikely that all of these scenarios will play out in succession, with huge regulation changes in F1 happening in 2026. One of these drivers, whether it be Lawson, Tsunoda, Hadjar, or Lindblad, is likely to become a long-term Red Bull star.

But every single driver who has partnered with Verstappen previously has struggled in a multitude of ways - who is to say it won't happen again?

Red Bull Max Verstappen Formula 1 Sergio Perez Liam Lawson 2021