Formula 1 earthquake: Red Bull would already have a candidate to replace Max Verstappen

The start of the 2026 Formula 1 season is worrying for Red Bull. After the first four races, the energy drink team appears far from the fight in both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships, behind Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari, and it doesn't look like it can recover any time soon. In this context, Max Verstappen's continuity was once again called into question and the team is already evaluating alternatives

for a possible replacement.

As reported by the specialized media outlet Motorsport, the Milton Keynes structure is working on a plan for a possible departure of the Dutchman and is targeting Oscar Piastri as the main candidate to assume the role of leading driver. The decision responds to a strategic question: with more than 2,000 employees and a project built around a dominant figure, the team considers it impossible to sustain its competitiveness without a consolidated reference

.

The Australian appears as an attractive option by present and projection. After an irregular start, he managed to get on the podium in Japan and Miami, showing an evolution that coincides with changes in his work environment.

In the preseason, he reorganized his technical team and left aside the usual presence of his manager Mark Webber on the track, in a decision that, as it transpired, sought to improve internal dynamics at McLaren.

At the same time, Verstappen himself gave a glimpse of his discomfort weeks ago, stating that he was not enjoying the present in the category, in a context marked by the new technical regulations. Although there are no concrete definitions about his future, his situation was once again under analysis after the last Grand Prix.

The interest in Piastri also reflects a paradigm shift at Red Bull. After the departure of Helmut Marko and Christian Horner in 2025, the team seems to be moving away from its historic internal promotion policy to bet on drivers already established in the market. Under the current leadership of Laurent Mekies and Oliver Mintzlaff, the model aims to sustain competitiveness through high-level figures

.

If you move forward with Piastri, one of the main obstacles would be the contractual one. The Australian driver has a relationship with McLaren until 2027, although in Formula 1 this type of agreement is usually not definitive if a significant opportunity appears. In this scenario, the role of Zak Brown, CEO of the British team, could be decisive in any negotiation

. On the

other hand, Motorsport also dropped the possibility of a possible direct exchange between Piastri and Verstappen, although, for now, there are no firm indications to support this scenario, nor clear signs that McLaren is seeking to incorporate the Dutchman, whose dissatisfaction would be more due to the new regulations than to his current team. Even so, Red Bull's move makes it clear that the team is already thinking about a future without its current figure, in the midst of a start to the season well below expectations.