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The entire Christian Horner-Red Bull saga was already quite intriguing, but with Max Verstappen throwing his name into the ring, things have become even more peculiar. The Dutch driver has been part of the Austrian squad since 2014, when Helmut Marko confirmed his services as the junior driver.
It is however, this bond between Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen that was formed almost a decade ago that's going to lead to the driver's exit from the team (if it were to happen). In the entire saga at Red Bull, it's clear as day that Horner and Marko somehow find themselves on opposite sides of things.
When that happens, as it has appeared, Max Verstappen is going to take the side of Helmut Marko, and if the Austrian is out, so is the Dutch driver. For a moment, if we keep the political shenanigans aside and just assume that Max is going to leave the team, who replaces him?
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In this feature, we will take a look at the three possible contenders who could replace Max Verstappen.
Who could replace Max Verstappen?
#1 Fernando Alonso
The first name that pops up when one thinks about replacing Max Verstappen is Fernando Alonso. The reason behind that is very simple because unlike a lot of elite drivers in F1, Alonso is someone who is out of a contract at the end of the season.
To add to this, in terms of motivation, the driver doesn't lack anything and has been ridiculously brilliant in the last few years. On top of all this, there are a few areas where Alonso is quite similar to Max Verstappen. He imbibes a similarly ruthless approach that Max does, he has the same hunger (if not more), and he hardly has an off-day in the car.
When you combine all of that and, for a moment, do not worry about the age, you have a very capable replacement that could do the job for Red Bull.
#2 Oscar Piastri
If Red Bull is looking for a younger name who could be the future of the team, then in that case, Oscar Piastri is someone whose name might be thrown into the mix. The young Australian has impressed everyone and he continues to be on an upward trajectory when it comes to putting things together and getting closer to Lando Norris.
Oscar was someone whom Red Bull had kept an eye on very early in his junior career but then passed on the opportunity. If Max Verstappen leaves and the Austrian team is looking to sign someone, Oscar might just be the guy. There might be a concern because he is contacted until 2026 with McLaren, but as Max leaves, it also gives Red Bull a massive breather on its wallet, and the contract could be bought out.
When it comes to replacing Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri might just be someone in contention for the seat.
#3 Lewis Hamilton
Yes, this one is going to involve some crazy overreach. If Max Verstappen leaves Red Bull, then that means a seat is open in the Austrian squad. While Lewis Hamilton is contracted to drive for Ferrari in 2025, it is almost a certainty that the Austrian team will have a fast car that year.
Could we see a scenario where Lewis breaks the contract with Ferrari, pays off the fine himself, moves to Red Bull, and pursues a golden opportunity to win the title in 2025? We certainly can't, especially because in that scenario things would get a bit personal as Max was the driver who cost Lewis his 8th title in 2021.
This might lead to an emotion-filled 2025, and this won't surprise anyone if Christian Horner poaches Toto Wolff's driver, and hands him the 8th title, something that the Austrian had talked so fondly about.
It would be a seismic moment in F1 if Lewis Hamilton replaced Verstappen at Red Bull but looking at how 2024 has gone, will anyone be surprised?
