Max Verstappen gives clear verdict on Red Bull 'preparing' F1 replacement

Max Verstappen has praised the way that Red Bull are preparing the driver widely expected to step into his F1 seat one day.

The reigning drivers' champion has struggled to keep up the dominance of previous seasons, complaining frequently about the quality of the car provided to him by the team.

At the halfway point of the season, Verstappen sits in third in the drivers' standings behind both McLaren drivers, and Red Bull's team title prospects look even more bleak as they sit down in P4. And the outfit's woes don't stop at performance. Following the British Grand Prix it was announced that team principal Christian Horner had been sacked with immediate effect, and a decision on Verstappen's future is expected around the summer break in less than three weeks time.

READ MORE: Red Bull announce Christian Horner FIRED in shock F1 departure

So who could the Milton Keynes-based squad have lined up to replace their champion? Well, one name that has been cropping up as a star of the future is Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad.

The 17-year-old wouldn't necessarily be stepping up to replace Verstappen immediately, but with F1 clearly his end goal and two Red Bull-backed teams on the grid to choose from, a spot on the grid looks likely for Lindblad.

Speaking in an FIA press conference at Silverstone, the Dutchman was asked about the junior racer, who many have tipped as the next Verstappen.

"From my side, he raced for my best friend's go-kart team, so I already had a bit of information on him, and he's great. He's very fast and he just needs to do it step by step. I think the way that Red Bull also is preparing him is good," Verstappen said.

Verstappen's word of warning to Lindblad

Earlier that weekend, Lindblad made a promising step towards his first F1 contract, taking to the wheel of Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull in front of his home crowd in FP1.

The F2 star finished the session P14, with temporary team-mate Verstappen only four places ahead of him.

And though the Dutchman seemed encouraging of Lindblad's progression on track when speaking on Saturday, he did issue some key advice to the young hopeful.

"He just needs to do his thing. Being labelled as the next Max, he should just be himself. That's what you need to focus on.

"I think that's also what he knows how to do. He has good people around him that are like a mentor to him. So, yep, step by step. I'm happy for him. He's doing well. Let's see what happens when he eventually can get into F1," the champion concluded.

With one FP1 appearance under his belt, Lindblad will have his eyes on the prize of an F1 seat for next season once he has wrapped up his F2 campaign, where he currently sits sixth in the standings.

However, with the futures of both Verstappen and Tsunoda unclear, who knows how long Lindblad will have to wait until he finally gets the chance to prove he is Red Bull's next big star.

READ MORE: F1 pundit warns Mercedes 'embarrassing' driver over Max Verstappen pursuit

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