Last Updated on January 31 2025, 10:51 am

Red Bull Racing once the masters of the seamless transition of their drivers found themselves wanting during last seasons Formula One campaign. Since the days of Sebastian Vettel, the Milton Keynes based team has their next star driver ready as the current star begins to fade.

Daniel Ricciardo stepped up in 2014, following four years of dominance from Red Bull and his team mate Sebastian Vettel. The youth and enthusiasm of the then young Aussie trounced the experience of his vastly more experienced team mate, who decided after just one year of their partner ship, it was tine to move on to Ferrari.

Max Verstappen too was transitioned from the junior squad alongside Ricciardo in 2016, although it was almost two full years before the Dutch driver got the better of the loveable Ricciardo. Yet since the promotion of Max to the senior team, Red Bull’s seamless supply of young drivers appeared to have dried up.

 

 

 

Red Bull’s smooth driver traditions

First up to replace the Honey Badger was Pierre gassy, though his results were deemed unsatisfactory by the team and he was demoted back to the junior team mid-season in 2019. Albon replaced the French driver and he completed the year and the following season before being released completely by the Red Bull organisation.

Next up was the experienced Sergio Perez, known for his tyre whispering and incredible one stop races when the rest of the field were forced into two changes of tyres. Whilst Sergio performed well during his first year with the team, it was not enough to back up Max’s first world title and deliver the constructors’ championship for the team.

Perez was simply outscored by Mercedes’ number two Valtteri Bottas and the world champions racked up a record eight consecutive team championships. Checo improved the following year claiming third in the drivers’ title race finishing just three points behind second placed Charles Leclerc.

The Mexican went one better during the season of dominance of the RB19, giving Red Bull surprisingly their first ever 1-2 in the drivers’ title race. Yet come last season, it all went pear shaped for Sergio after his podium at the Chinese Grand Prix. Checo had polkaed on 85 points over the first five rounds of the year, yet across the next nineteen weekends, his tally was just another 67 points.

Mercedes plan B, should Antonelli fail

 

 

 

Spectre of Max leaving RBR raises its head

2024 was an annus horibilus for the Red Bull squad, with allegations of improper behaviour being levelled at their team boss come the start of the season. As the leaks and off the record briefings continued, Max Verstappen was dragged into matters as his allegiances were questioned.

Verstappen was candid although coded, making his position clear. He was happy within the Red Bull setup but would consider his position were Dr. Helmut Marko forced to leave the team. Whilst clearly there was some drama in the notion of max leaving Red Bull, given Ferrari and McLaren’s fixed driver lineups, only Mercedes were a serious prospect for the world champion.

Toto Wolff did make his advances for the Red Bull star driver plain, although given Mercedes’ fall from grace Max would hardly leave his Red Bull home for a punt on Brackley sorting out its issues which have persisted for three years. Of course the pull was for the big new rule changes in 2026, when last time this occurred Mercedes emerged as the uber dominant force in F1.

Yet times have changed. No longer can Mercedes blow a limited budget on their R&D for the new power units, as was the case for 2014. Nobody really knows who will come out on top, though Adrian Newey has warned the first couple of seasons under the new regs, may well be power unit dominated.

Newey criticises Red Bull design team

 

 

 

Red Bull academy thin on talent

Red Bull’s decision to promote Liam Lawson alongside Verstappen for the coming year was greeted with. Much puzzlement. The New Zealander has just else Grand Prix weekends ton his name, meanwhile his team mate has four complete seasons under his belt.

Regardless, Tsunoda will be leaving Red Bull come the end of this year as Honda switch allegiances to Aston Martin for 2026 and beyond. The problem being were Lawson to fail, the backup in the Red Bull academy programme looks weak.

Isack Hadjar’s lack of readiness for F1 is though to have been part of the reason Red Bull retained Perez until the end of last year. Ayao Iwassa appears to have been parked by the team as he is set to compete in Japan for the coming year.

The pickings look to be thin should Liam Lawson fail to work out alongside Max, but maybe in the nick of time Horner and Marko have pulled a rabbit from the hat in the form of Arvin Lindblad. During the 2024 season, the FIA received a request to review their policy on refusing drivers under 18 yrs of age to join the F1 grid.

Horner negotiates SHOCK back up plan for Verstappen

 

 

 

Red Bull granted FIA exemption

Initially it was thought to have come from Mercedes for their rising star Kimi Antonelli, but the Italian turned eighteen years of age during there last summer break and now has his super license ready for the coming campaign.

However, it was Red Bull posing the question and Lindblad was the reason. At the time he was just sixteen and only becomes eligible for F1 in August this season. Clearly Red Bull were scrabbling around for answers to their driver lineup issues, and Lindblad was seen as a genuine possibility as the F1 rookie, before this year’s summer break remains below the FIA age limit.

The Red Bull academy has Lindblad, Pepe Martin and Oliver Goethe in their livery competing in F2 this season, however reports from Racing365 suggest it is Linblad the team are focusing on.

Several private tests of previous cars have already been run as the team seek to ensure their young driver has sufficient points to qualify for his super license of necessary. While no announcement has been yet forthcoming, it is expected that Lindblad will become the Red Bull official reserve driver for both teams in 2024.

Yet for now with Lindblad short of points for his F1 adventure, the team for now is flying by the seat of their collective pants and hoping for no Alex Albon or Carlos Sainz type weekends, where one of their full time drivers becomes incapacitated.

Herbert’s new job & the revival of a racing marque

 

 

 

Ferrari attempts to solve Hamilton’s braking issues

Lewis Hamilton and his first tentative steps as a Ferrari driver has filled the column inches of the F1 press during another long winter break. The seven times world champion was mobbed on his first day in Maranello, but the ever savvy Lewis a political opportunity bagged some political backing as he was showed around the factory as the Ferrari Group president, John Elkann was there to accompany him as a kind of affirmation for any doubters.

Hamilton immediately struggled with the set up of the Ferrari pedals in the SF-23 he tested for 92km in Fiorano. The team worked furiously to adapt the two year old F1 car in time for the next outing this week in Barcelona.

Both Leclerc and Hamilton shared the testing at the Circuit de Catalunya, where the former Mercedes driver continued his education on the intricacies of how the Ferrari F1 power train operates at its optimum… READ MORE