Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull at the end of the 2025 F1 season is a real possibility. The Dutchman is rumored to have certain clauses in his contract that would allow him to exit his existing deal. So, if the reigning world champion is to leave, who would Red Bull replace him with?
Max Verstappen is rumored to have a contract clause allowing him to leave Red Bull if he’s outside the top three in the drivers’ standings by the 2025 summer break. This has never been confirmed, but the speculation hasn’t died down. Christian Horner and Helmut Marko previously hinted at concerns about performance-related clauses in his deal.
Red Bull knows Verstappen wants to stay at the front, week in, week out. If the team’s form drops and he’s stuck in fourth or lower, the risk of him walking away might become very real. So here are three drivers Red Bull may look to replace Verstappen with after 2025.
George Russell
George Russell is currently without an F1 contract for 2026. The Mercedes man’s current deal at the Silver Arrows is set to expire at the end of this year. While many rumors have suggested that Russell is close to a contract extension at the German team, no official confirmation has yet been made.
Red Bull could potentially be keen on this move if they lose Verstappen. Russell would be their best option if he does not sign an extension at Mercedes. A hypothetical scenario could even see Verstappen move to Mercedes, while Russell takes his place at Red Bull.
Isack Hadjar
Isack Hadjar has arguably been the most impressive rookie of the 2025 F1 season so far. The driver has swept the floor with his teammate, Liam Lawson, so far at Racing Bulls, even though the latter has substantially more experience in F1.
Red Bull has a history of promoting drivers from within their existing ranks. If they look to do this again, Hadjar would surely be the first name on the list. The French driver has scored 21 world championship points this season and currently sits ninth in the drivers’ standings.
Arvid Lindblad – Max Verstappen 2.0?
Red Bull could potentially replace a former teenage protege of theirs, with a new one. Arvid Lindblad is a 17-year-old Red Bull junior driver, currently competing in F2 with Campos. The teenager has already won two races in his debut F2 season. His maiden feature race win came most recently in Barcelona, which has propelled him to P3 in the drivers’ standings.
If the British-Swedish driver is to have a stellar F2 season, Red Bull could look to fast-track his development. The teenager is reportedly rated very highly at Milton Keynes. Lindblad would be an outside shout for the Red Bull seat in 2025, but a move is not impossible.
Ayumu Iwasa, who is currently RB’s reserve driver, is another junior driver who could be under consideration. However, he is more likely to first be tried out by the sister team. Valtteri Bottas is another outside shout for the seat. The veteran recently admitted that he would be ready to race for Red Bull. But the Austrian side is unlikely to go with the Finnish driver to lead their team.
The ideal scenario for Christian Horner would be if Max Verstappen stays put. But the F1 grid could receive a proper shake-up if the 4x world champion decides to move on.
