Red Bull identify Max Verstappen’s replacement if F1 champion gets race ban

Red Bull have dropped a major hint as to who will step in if Max Verstappen is handed a one-race ban from Formula 1.

The four-time world champion is on the verge of suspension after deliberately crashing into George Russell during the final laps of last Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Following the shocking incident, which Verstappen has apologised for, the Dutchman had three penalty points added to his superlicence, bringing his tally to 11.

Should he receive one more at the next two grand prix in Canada and Austria he will be handed a one-race ban, which could spell the end of his championship chances.

As such, Red Bull need to prepare for the possibility of losing their star driver over the next month but Christian Horner is not short of options.

Who could replace Max Verstappen?

It is almost certain that Verstappen will be replaced by one of the drivers from Red Bull’s sister team Racing Bulls, namely Liam Lawson or Isack Hadjar.

Lawson started the season as Verstappen’s teammate but was controversially axed after just two races and replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, with the Kiwi struggling for performance ever since.

Rookie Hadjar meanwhile has been one of the standout drivers of 2025 and after nine races is ninth in the standings, with more points than Lawson and Tsunoda combined.

Whoever it may be, a brief promotion to Red Bull would of course leave a seat free at Racing Bulls, with reserve driver Ayumu Iwasa seemingly first choice to fill it, having driven Verstappen’s RB21 during practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix in April.

However, a report from The Race says that Red Bull have sent a request to the FIA for a superlicence exemption for 17-year-old academy star Arvid Lindblad, suggesting he is actually next in line.

Under the current rules, drivers must be 18 in order to acquire the superlicence needed to race in F1, with Lindblad not eligible until August.

But exceptions can be made for underage drivers if they are ‘judged to have recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition’.

A decision on the request is expected next week and if granted, it would allow Lindblad to make his F1 debut over the summer.

Who is Arvid Lindblad?

Born in Surrey to a Swedish father and a mother of Indian heritage, Arvid Lindblad began competitive karting aged seven and has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past decade.

In 2024, he embarked on his maiden Formula 3 campaign with Prema Racing, the same team that helped Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc reach F1.

He impressively won four races en course to fourth in the championship and over the winter break he cruised to the title in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship.

This year, the teenager has made the step up to Formula 2 and has taken to it like a duck to water, with two wins in 11 races leaving him third in the standings.

Lindblad already has his sights on F1, telling the BBC last year: ‘I’d say I have two or three years now to make it and that’s my window. If I don’t make it now I won’t get another opportunity in Formula 1.

‘All I’m thinking about at the moment is Formula 1 and wanting to be a world champion. F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport and I haven’t seen anything else that I’ve been attracted to.’

How did Max Verstappen get his penalty points?

In Formula 1, drivers receive a one-race ban if they acquire 12 penalty points within the space of 12 months.

Thankfully for Verstappen, two of his 11 points will expire on June 30 but he’ll have to carefully navigate Canada and Austria before then.

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