According to team principal Laurent Mekies, Red Bull is getting a ton of interest from other drivers around the F1 grid regarding the possible availability of the team’s seat.
At this point, it is well known that Max Verstappen is able to break his contract and leave Red Bull after failing to secure a good standing in the Drivers’ Championship.
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There are reported tensions within Verstappen’s camp and Red Bull that have spanned years, and there is no title win or title challenge in the background to mask any issues.
Naturally, Verstappen has talked with other teams, with McLaren being the team most linked to the Dutchman.
However, aside from them, there are few options for him at this point, with most of the top teams’ seats already secured.
Seemingly, Red Bull is not lacking in alternatives, with multiple drivers reaching out to hear about the status of the seat.
“Look, it is working in both directions – it is completely natural that Max gets a call from everyone, because he is the best driver in the world.
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“And equally if you are a top team, you are going to get calls from many of these good drivers around as well. So that’s natural. Is it a distraction for us? Not really.
“Our full focus is on getting that car as fast as it can [be] and then you will keep your best driver in the world. And we also see the massive growth of Isack [Hadjar] alongside Max, and that for us is the ideal pairing and we try to make sure we can keep that pairing.”
At this point, Verstappen is more likely to stay than not given the limited scope, but he is likely going to end up departing if the team remains uncompetitive at the top.
While Mekies did not share who the drivers were, they likely included Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, and possibly young up-and-comers like Oliver Bearman or Gabriel Bortoleto, who have been stuck doing their best with lackluster machinery.
Pierre Gasly likely also threw his hat in the ring, hoping that a new leadership at the team could help his odds.
Even if it looks unlikely, Verstappen’s future will be the focus of the summer break.
