Marko eyes Verstappen’s successor – Max Verstappen’s recent run of success might suggest he is the one who can finally crack the seven times champion title first set by Michael Schumacher at Ferrari. Yet Red Bull proved this year, the handicap system which rations aero development time, along with the cost cap are starting to kick in and therefore no team should ever dominate as Mercedes did for eight consecutive seasons.

With the all conquering RB19, Verstappen completed a record. breaking year in 2023 with his nineteen Grand Prix wins from twenty three race weekends. At the start of this season’s campaign, it looked as though the Dutch driver would be starting where he left off last December in Abu Dhabi.

Yet brake failure in Australia saw the world champion who was leading the race, fall through the field and eventually retire the car. Max’s next stumble would come in Miami when an unfortunately timed safety car gave Lando Norris a cheap pit stop and he returned to lead the race to the chequered flag.

 

 

 

The spectre of Max leaving Red Bull

This year saw trouble in the Red Bull paradise as the season began with infighting in the corporate entity which owns the racing team. Max Verstappen was dragged into the controversy stating were Dr. Helmut Marko suspended from the team, he too would potentially be considering his position.

Verstappen has a contract until 2028, but Christian Horner hearing rumours his star driver may want to leave the team before, was adamant in Australia. “It’s like anything in life, you can’t force somebody to be somewhere just because of a piece of paper,” he said. “If somebody didn’t want to be in this team, then we’re not going to force somebody against their will to be here. That applies whether it is a machine operator or a designer or someone in one of the support functions that runs through the business.”

Whilst the Red Bull internal battles rumbled on for several more race weekends, it in effect created a bit of an “us and them” mentality as the team focused on its on track performance.

Yet Max Verstappen will not go on forever, as he’s repeatedly stated, and come the 2026 season the pecking order may be turned on its head with new power unit regulations together with a whole new chassis design. Big rule change years can cause upsets as happened in 2009 when Brawn GP and their driver Jenson Button were crowned champions.

 

 

 

Drivers staying ‘forever’ in junior team

Red Bull have found themselves in a bit of a mess when it comes to their driver lineup in recent years with Pierre Gasly leaving the junior team after a six year association with them. Of course the Frenchman was briefly promoted to Red Bull in 2019before being demoted after the summer break at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Yuki Tsunoda will enter his fifth season with the junior squad next year and both he and Gasly raise questions about the purpose of the junior racing team, if drivers make it there, stay for years and no further.

However, the current chaos is clearing the path for Red Bull’s net superstar driver as Dr. Marko reveals. The 170-year old Arvid Lindblad born in Surrey, England has been making waves in European junior category racing. He narrowly missed out on winning the Italian F4 championship last season and this year Arvid  followed that up winning four F3 races and ultimately a P4 in the championship.

At one point it appeared Lindblad would take the F3 title, but a run of bad form across the final five races of the year saw him fall from contention and finish P4. The young Brit took it all in his stride and next year will step up to the even more competitive F2. He replaces Isack Hadjar at Campos who has just been promoted to the RB’s team alongside for the moment Yuki Tsunoda.

 

 

 

Marko: Verstappen won’t go as long as Alonso

With Toto Wolff eying up Verstappen for 2027 should Mercedes once again deliver a power unit superior to the rest of the field in 2026, Marko notes time could be short. “It’s a great pleasure and enjoyment to work with Max, but Max won’t drive forever,” said the 81 year old Austrian on the Inside Line F1 podcast. “Especially not as long as Alonso or Hamilton are doing.

“And the junior team prospect [sic] is to find new talents. And we are not looking for a new Max. We’re looking for a new champion.I think the next one which looks really promising is Arvid Lindblad.”

Marko excuses Linblad’s lack of a junior racing title due to special circumstances yet at the same time highlights what makes him so promising, “is his pure speed.” The Red bull advisor cites this year’s races in Silverstone where in one Lindblad overtook “12 or 14 other drivers” in a single lap.

With Dr. Marko gazing into his crystal ball he recalls the first time he met Lindblad in Portimao, the location of a famous Ayrton Senna victory in his black and gold John Player Lotus. “But he had a clear vision and a clear way how to achieve it. And since then he moved steadily forward,” Marko said.

Critics mounts over Red bull driver choices

 

 

 

Superlicense for the young star

The F2 championship will not be Lindblad’s primary focus as Red Bull will be pushing for him to secure his FIA Super License which clears him to compete in Formula One.

“He will be next year in Formula 2,” Marko continued. “He is doing a very good preparation. The test was okay.”

“We are doing a special programme for him, sending him to New Zealand in this FRECA [Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine] championship, and the goal is to win it so he gets the necessary points for a Super License. Even so, we will be 18 only in August.”

Some have speculated that Linblad’s F1 introduction could be as early as next season given Red Bull petitioned the FIA to reconsider the minimum age requirement of 18 yrs. Marko again eulogises over Lindblad’s speed.

Marko broke the bad news ton Tsunoda, but not face to face

 

 

 

Tsunoda final year

“He proved that in go-karting and in all the junior categories. He’s very smart, and he is honest to himself. When he makes a mistake, he doesn’t look for excuses, and he’s looking forward. He’s always one category ahead already. That’s also from his physical side. As for his mental preparation, when he goes in a new formula, he is one of the few ones who went directly from Formula 4 to F3. He has his opinion, and he knows how to prepare, and he commits to it and step by step.”

“So I would say it’s a very good combination between mental and driving skills. The first three [F2] test days just happened in Abu Dhabi, and he improved day by day,” added Marko.

Recently announced Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar will hardly be impressed given the topic of conversation has moved on from them to who in fact may be their potential successor. It would seem Yuki Tsunoda will see out his the final year of his contract with RB before making way for Linblad come the 2026 campaign.

Red Bull do less testing of previous year cars (TPC) than most other teams, which is why Tsunoda had his first Red Bull outing in four years at the post season test in Abu Dhabi. 

Wolff reveals Mercedes mistake with Antonelli

 

 

 

Plenty of testing previous cars

“Yes, it’s a plan,” replied Marko when asked about TPC. “The number isn’t yet decided, but it will be several tests. And I think in the past, if I compare with [Jack] Doohan, or with [Oscar] Piastri, or also with [Oliver] Bearman, they had a lot of tests in the two-year-old version Formula 1 car.

“And we want… For example, Liam Lawson didn’t have this opportunity, and also, [Isack] Hadjar, to a certain amount, didn’t have this opportunity. And this we will change for Arvid that he, if he makes a very good season in Formula 2, that he can go with good experience into Formula 1 in 2026, maybe.”

All eyes will be on be on the RB pairing for net season with Tsunoda becoming the benchmark for the rookie Iasck Hadjar, who must strive to emulate, if not beat the Japanese driver.

Team bosses pick their best drivers for 2024

 

 

 

FIA ‘too fussy’ says ex-president

Max Verstappen has been voted Formula One driver of the year for the first time by all ten team bosses. Fred Vasseur, Toto Wolff and Andreas Stella all chose to over look their drivers in favour of the now four times world champion who experienced his longest winless run of ten races since 2020.

Much of the back of the job ahead was broken when the Dutch driver claimed seven of the first ten Grand Prix of the year. During the European summer season, different teams were strong at each event something which delivered seven driver’s with multiple wins for the first time in 2024.

As early as Imola in round seven it was clear the RB20 was not always the quickest car as at the Emilia-Romagne Grand Prix, Max Verstappen doggedly kept the McLaren of Lando Norris behind him on the narrow and twisty circuit…. READ MORE