Red Bull find next F1 'champion' driver amid Max Verstappen retirement admission
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Red Bull think they might have already discovered their next big star in academy racer Arvid Lindblad. They can already rely on Max Verstappen who has won the last four Formula 1 drivers' titles in a row. However, the Dutchman has made it clear on many occasions that he does not plan to have a long F1 career and his current Red Bull deal expires in 2028.
"Max won't drive forever - especially not as long as [Fernando] Alonso or [Lewis] Hamilton are doing," Helmut Marko admitted on the Inside Line podcast. But he went on to point out that he is already excited about the next talent coming through the junior ranks who could one day fill Verstappen's shoes.
Lindblad, 17, won four races and finished fourth in his maiden Formula 3 season, enough to earn a promotion to Formula 2 for 2025. And Marko admitted Red Bull are going to offer additional opportunities for the teenager, who races under the British flag, to impress and earn his place on the F1 grid in the future.
The Austrian explained: "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. And in his first year, or always in Formula 4, even if he didn't win the championship, the same applies to F3, he could have won the championship, but circumstances and so on, but what is making him outstanding, is his pure speed.
"In one of the Formula 3 races [at Silverstone], he overtook, in one lap, I don't know, 10 or 14 other drivers. He won the race from being last in these tricky conditions, wet, dry and so on. He will be next year in Formula 2. He is doing a very good preparation. The test was okay.
