Red Bull told to reconsider former drivers if Verstappen leaves

F1 pundit Martin Brundle has advised Red Bull not to dismiss its pool of former drivers, like Carlos Sainz or Pierre Gasly, if the team needs to replace Max Verstappen, arguing that past struggles in the team's high-pressure environment shouldn't disqualify them. Brundle criticized Red Bull's historical approach of quickly discarding drivers who couldn't match Verstappen's performance, suggesting a more supportive culture is needed to develop talent effectively.

Why it matters:

Verstappen's potential departure, however speculative, would create the most coveted vacancy on the grid. Red Bull's reputation for a ruthless driver development program, where teammates are directly compared to a generational talent, has burned several careers. Brundle's comments highlight a critical strategic flaw: if the team automatically excludes every driver who previously couldn't thrive alongside Verstappen, it severely limits its options in a tight driver market and may overlook a matured candidate perfectly suited for a new team dynamic.

The details:

• Brundle pointed to the contrasting approaches of top teams, citing Mercedes' supportive handling of junior driver Kimi Antonelli during a rough patch last year as a better model for development.
• He argued that drivers like Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz, and Pierre Gasly "got burned by Verstappen's brilliance and by the culture that was there," but have since rebuilt their reputations at other teams.
• The environment described involves intense, immediate scrutiny from leadership like Helmut Marko and Christian Horner, making it difficult for a struggling driver to find footing.
• Brundle noted that current Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar benefits from being in a "more comfortable place to make his mistakes and learn his trade" outside the main team's spotlight.
• His firm conclusion was that cutting all former drivers from consideration "would be missing a trick," explicitly naming Sainz and Gasly as viable candidates Red Bull "would have to consider."

What's next:

While Verstappen is under contract through 2028, the constant speculation keeps the driver market on alert. Brundle's analysis serves as a public critique of Red Bull's past methodology. If a seat does open, the team will face a immediate test of whether it has learned from its history. Opting for a known quantity like Sainz—a race-winner seeking a top seat—would signal a pragmatic shift. Alternatively, promoting another rookie like Liam Lawson would suggest confidence in a reformed, more patient system. The decision will reveal much about Red Bull's internal evolution beyond its current championship-winning car.