3-time F1 race winner names ideal Max Verstappen partner in place of Yuki Tsunoda

Johnny Herbert has weighed in on the conversation of a fitting teammate to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing. The former Formula 1 driver detailed that the option of Gabriel Bortoleto would be ideal to partner the Dutch driver at the Milton Keynes outing.

The 61-year-old detailed his belief that the Kick Sauber driver boasts the ideal prerequisites to compete effectively alongside Verstappen. The former race steward also stressed the Brazilian driver’s advantage of having Fernando Alonso in his corner would play an integral role in his adaptation to the demands of the Red Bull Racing outfit.

“I would give the Red Bull seat next to Verstappen to Bortoleto. He won consecutively F3 and F2, but the aspect that really makes the difference is that he has [Fernando] Alonso as a manager and mentor. The Spaniard can give him that something extra to continue improving, while Isack Hadjar has to get by on his own,” Herbert stated as per Motorsport.

Who gets to partner Max Verstappen at the second Red Bull Racing seat has, over the years, become a topical issue in recent years. Through the 2025 campaign alone, the Austrian outfit has tried out two drivers, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, to partner the Dutch driver. However, both have failed to reach the expectations the hierarchy at the Milton Keynes-based team had set for them.

Lawson failed to record any meaningful outing through his brief stint with Red Bull Racing. Tsunoda, who is currently serving as teammate with Max Verstappen, has only been able to muster points-scoring finishes in four of his 14 races with the four-time world champion.

Helmut Marko speaks on Max Verstappen’s teammate for 2026

Helmut Marko has also weighed in on Max Verstappen’s teammate for the 2026 season. The Red Bull Racing advisor has hinted at the possibility of Isack Hadjar teaming up with the world champion at the Milton Keynes-based team.

Marko, who spoke in an interview with Austrian outlet Kleine Zeitung, also stressed how the Racing Bulls driver has developed a character of making fewer mistakes among other acts in his rookie campaign.

"He's a funny guy who never blames the car, but always only himself. He also doesn't make mistakes, which is really surprising for a new driver. He improves on every track and is fully involved after a few laps, regardless of whether he's driven there before. He's a really fast guy coming along."

"He certainly has the mental strength to hold his own against Verstappen. Fundamentally, we want to stick with our driver pool when it comes to the cockpits for 2026. If a super talent emerges, we won't turn a blind eye, of course, but that's not the case at the moment."

Isack Hadjar, on his part, has largely played down talks of teaming up with Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing. The French driver, during the Italian Grand Prix weekend, however, opened the door to partnering the 27-year-old at Red Bull for the 2026 campaign.