Red Bull have been on a quest to find the next Max Verstappen for a while now, and are yet to be successful with any of their choices.
Since 2018, the senior team has been through four drivers and no one is contracted to the second seat beside the reigning four-time champion at Red Bull for 2026.
Their current crop, including 17-year-old star Arvid Lindblad, is one of the most promising yet, but they’re going to need a few years to grow and develop.
If Verstappen was to leave the team, they would face an immediate issue. They know how dangerous it can be to promote a youngster too soon. Maybe they would give Sebastian Vettel a call?
Lindblad has to impress Helmut Marko for a 2026 seat but he may face some competition from a rival in a lower formula.
READ MORE: The ‘wobble’ that could cause Max Verstappen to ditch Red Bull for Mercedes in 2026
Red Bull may have ‘the next Max Verstappen’ after Nikola Tsolov’s Formula 3 testing
This winter, Red Bull signed Nikola Tsolov, who competes in Formula 3. He has just set some blistering pace at pre-season testing.
He set the fastest time of any driver and now that he has one year of experience in the category, he should go well this season.
In the comments section of one of his Instagram posts, fans shared comments such as “Unstoppable,” and “Great”. Another fan called him “The fastest Bulgarian to ever drive in Barcelona.”
Under another Instagram post from pre-season, another person called him “The next Max Verstappen”, while someone else predicted him for big things: “Let’s go, you will be an F3 champion this year.”
And finally, the last fan simply summed him up by calling him a “Legend”.
READ MORE: Red Bull identify ‘aggressive’ driver as their last resort in case Liam Lawson struggles
How much pressure is Red Bull’s Liam Lawson under to perform in 2025?
The man whose future may be under the biggest cloud heading into 2025 is Liam Lawson. With just 11 Formula 1 races under his belt, he’s a fairly large unknown.
Lawson needs to finish near Verstappen in the championship or it will be clear to the team that he isn’t the solution for the future. They could look to promote Lindblad or Tsolov quickly.
The Bulgarian realistically needs to win the Formula 3 title this year to have any chance of that happening soon, but other drivers have been thrust into the spotlight quickly.
Red Bull may have already favoured Verstappen at testing and they’re inclined to develop their car to suit the champion’s needs. He has delivered so much for them after all.
The 2026 F1 regulations may bring change, especially if they drop back from being regular contenders for race victories.
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