Verstappen jokes he may 'move aside' as Red Bull signs Raikkonen's son

Red Bull has added a familiar name to its junior programme, and Max Verstappen is already joking about making room. The reigning world champion quipped he may eventually need to "move aside" at Red Bull to facilitate the promotion of newly signed junior driver Robin Raikkonen.

Why it matters:

Red Bull's junior programme has a storied history of plucking young talent and fast-tracking them to F1. The signing of Robin Raikkonen — son of 2007 world champion Kimi — signals the team is already thinking about its next generation of drivers, even as Verstappen continues to dominate at the front.

The details:

• Red Bull announced earlier this month that Robin Raikkonen will join its junior team from 2027.
• The young Finn is still in the karting phase of his career and will now receive Red Bull's support as he climbs the ladder.
• Verstappen, speaking to media including RacingNews365, confirmed he met the Raikkonen family before the Italian Grand Prix: "I had a quick chat with Kimi and with Robin. It was good. I knew that he was signed already. It's good to see."
• When it was pointed out that Verstappen might be gone from F1 by the time Robin is ready for a seat, the Dutchman smiled: "Yeah, who knows. Maybe, maybe not. I guess eventually they also need a seat for him in the team. So then, yeah, maybe I'll move aside!"

The big picture:

Verstappen himself was a product of Red Bull's junior programme, signed late in 2014 with a guarantee of an F1 seat the following year. The team has built a reputation for promoting young drivers, and the Raikkonen signing fits that mould. However, it also raises questions about the long-term driver market — with Verstappen's future beyond his current contract a topic of constant speculation, Red Bull is clearly ensuring its options remain open.

What's next:

Robin Raikkonen will continue his karting development before beginning his Red Bull journey in 2027. If he progresses as expected, the Finn could be on the F1 radar by the early 2030s — a timeline that would make Verstappen's joke about moving aside more than just a punchline.