Five blockbusting F1 moves which will rock silly season as Christian Horner returns

A five-week break from F1 isn't good for those of us with hyperactive imaginations and tendency to overthink, because when you've got ample time to consider 'what ifs' they spiral in all kinds of directions.

Currently, our minds are racing as to what F1 will look like without Max Verstappen. Perhaps the worst news to break heading into a month-long hiatus, was that the four-time champion and Formula 1's biggest asset is 'seriously considering' retirement, dangling tantalising hypotheticals as to what Verstappen will do next.

So say he's finally had enough of the new regulations, and he goes to Red Bull 'thank you very much, but I'm going to focus on endurance racing and my family', F1 won't just have to contend with the loss of such a major name, but also the reverberations on the F1 driver market.

Let's throw the conversation forward as to what the 2027 grid will look like, without Max Verstappen.

While major teams like Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren's lineup will remain largely unaltered (as the top three best performing teams, their drivers would be foolish to consider an avenue elsewhere), a Verstappen exit could see a driver move up the grid to Red Bull which may also usher new drivers into the sport entirely.

F1 HEADLINES: How Verstappen could move to McLaren, Piastri talks retirement

F1 2027 moves IF Max Verstappen leaves Red Bull

Carlos Sainz - Red Bull

Carlos Sainz is not a young man. The Spaniard doesn't have time to waste on Williams shedding some weight just to become points contenders.

A man of many teams, Sainz has chased F1 success in various colours during his career from Renault yellow to Ferrari red. But he's never been given an opportunity at the main Red Bull team.

Sainz is an individual suited to the status of a number one driver, a role deemed impossible to obtain at Red Bull because of Verstappen's presence. Yet, if the Dutchman were to leave for the 2027 season, all that remains are the talented but still inexperienced drivers of Isack Hadjar and Arvid Lindblad to take his place.

Four-time race winner Sainz would the perfect candidate to lead Red Bull forwards instead, as they scramble to reassemble after the earth shattering exit of their star man.

Freddie Slater - Williams (reserve driver)

As to who would replace Sainz at Williams, that is a more difficult question with no obvious answer other than a driver as a stop-gap.

For Williams should be thinking of their long-term future if Sainz abandons them, and should instead invest in a young emerging talent from a feeder series.

While only just bursting onto the Formula 3 scene, British driver Freddie Slater, who is currently part of the Audi young driver programme, would be an attractive future prospect for Williams.

The Brit's rapid ascent up the feeder series ladder has caught all the right attention, after he enjoyed a record-breaking campaign in Italian F4 (claiming 15 wins in 21 races, that's more than Kimi Antonelli achieved) and finished second on his F3 feature race debut in Melbourne.

A fast-track to F1 and Williams would be far too premature for 2027, but if his 2026 F3 campaign remained successful and he progressed to F2 then Williams should waste no time in making him their reserve driver. Then in 2028, should Sainz have left, Slater would be their best candidate for the future.

F1 2027: Horner will finally join Alpine

Christian Horner - Alpine

It's not only the driver market that could see major moves in 2027, but the return of Christian Horner could also finally come to fruition.

Alpine has been and remains the best option for Horner. A team in need of a leader of his expertise, a percentage of the squad for sale to satisfy Horner's demands and a pre-existing relationship with advisor Flavio Briatore - in a logical world the move would have already happened.

Yes, there's the small gremlin that is Pierre Gasly, Horner's former driver who was sacked from Red Bull prematurely in 2019. But will the Frenchman honestly stand in the way of the chance to drive for a championship winning team by harbouring some old grudge? It seems unlikely.

Alex Dunne - Alpine

To complete Horner's takeover of Alpine, he may also install an exciting driver with potential to kick off the team's new era. And there's no better candidate for this than F2 star Alex Dunne.

Previously linked to the McLaren driver academy, a team where there is no existing F1 opportunities, Dunne was announced as part of the Alpine family at the start of the 2026 season.

Already, this shows signs that the team are weighing him up as an option to replace Franco Colapinto, provided he performs in any tests, in the simulator and, of course, any available FP1 sessions.

Dunne proved to be well up for the task last year, when he made his F1 debut with McLaren during FP1 at the Austrian Grand Prix. There he was already on the pace, and only a tenth of a second behind Oscar Piastri in the session.

Should he once again prove himself in 2026, Dunne would be the perfect driver for Horner to relaunch his new era with, refining the raw talent of the Irish driver in a manner similar to the young Verstappen at Red Bull all those years ago.

What about Aston Martin?

Jonathan Wheatley - Aston Martin

It would be expected, after this abrupt exit from Audi two rounds into the 2026 season, that Jonathan Wheatley has a leadership role elsewhere in his sights.

Aston Martin was named as Wheatley's next destination when reports about his exit first emerged, but with no official signing confirmed the former team principal's future remains uncertain.

There's still plenty of time for a deal to materialise between Aston Martin and Wheatley, and with it a reunion with former Red Bull colleague Adrian Newey could be on the cards for 2027.

Staying put - Fernando Alonso

You may, at this point of the article, have started to wonder where Fernando Alonso factors in amongst all this chaos.

Surely Aston Martin's dire situation would be enough for the 44-year-old and new father to call time on his F1 career? Or perhaps if Verstappen did leave Red Bull, might he hatch a plan of escape from Silverstone to Milton Keynes?

Despite everything, Fernando Alonso is staying put at Aston Martin. His calm exterior in the face of Aston Martin's nightmare is a far cry from his GP2 McLaren-Honda years, and perhaps suggests that deep down he believes Project Newey could work.

Oh yes Alonso will have to be patient, he may even be closer to 50 by the time (and if) Aston Martin comes good. But, at present, a small glimmer of trust remains within the Spaniard that one day he could win with Aston Martin.

READ MORE: Verstappen, the record $500m F1 transfer and the four teams who could sign him

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

View full biography

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