Red Bull have been told to replace four-time world champion Max Verstappen with an F1 ‘gem’ should the Dutchman decide to leave after this season.

At the British Grand Prix last time out, Verstappen once again suffered a session-ending incident when he crashed out of the main event at Silverstone with just four laps to go.

That marked the second crash in as many race weekends where the Dutchman had simply become a passenger to his frustratingly unreliable RB22, something which doesn’t play into Red Bull’s hands considering the four-time champion is on the verge of being able to activate his early exit contract clause.

If the 28-year-old isn’t in the top two of the drivers’ standings by the summer break (two race weekends from now) then he is believed to be able to kickstart the process of an early exit from his Red Bull contract.

Verstappen currently sits P7 in the championship, making it mathematically impossible for him to make the jump up to second by the end of the month.

As a result, rumours have spread over a potential switch to McLaren that could see Oscar Piastri take his place at Red Bull, although GPFans understands McLaren, their CEO Zak Brown and Piastri are all happy with the current partnership.

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Bearman linked with Red Bull role

As the F1 rumour mill has spread this narrative, McLaren and Red Bull have rushed to dispel it, but the chance of Verstappen leaving the energy drink giants does look more likely than ever.

Pundit and former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher assessed the situation on the German Sky Sports F1 podcast ‘Backstage Boxengasse’, suggesting that if Verstappen does opt for a change, talented Haas youngster Ollie Bearman would be a strong choice.

“If it were possible to sign him, my first choice would be Oliver Bearman, if you feel you can’t rely on (Isack) Hadjar. I, for one, would say you can rely on him,” said the six-time grand prix winner.

Schumacher then turned his attention to weighing up the other stars on the grid who could be a suitable fit for Red Bull, adding: “Then there’s Carlos Sainz, who is a good driver. The only problem is that he hasn’t yet proven he can compete for the world championship – but Sainz has done a good job.”

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But the brother of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher didn’t fail to notice that there would be one major issue blocking a move to Red Bull for Bearman: the fact he’s still a member of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy.

“He has great potential and a clear head, is likeable and, in my opinion, deserves a chance in a good car. The only question is why Ferrari should let him go – that’s beyond my imagination,” the German continued.

“If Hamilton were to drive for just one more year, then the question is why they would let such a gem go?”

Bearman is currently competing in his sophomore F1 championship and his second season with Haas, having impressed by consistently beating his much more experienced team-mate, Esteban Ocon.

There are rumours that multiple drivers are in the running to replace Ocon for 2027, but if Verstappen is heading out the door at Red Bull, perhaps the American squad could be looking at a move for Bearman and a completely new driver lineup next season?

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Aston Martin F1 boss Adrian Newey has admitted that the team’s drivers get ‘very frustrated’ if they feel like their concerns are not being listened to.

The Silverstone-based outfit have had a nightmare start to the 2026 season, struggling with reliability and performance concerns which have left Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll fighting at the back of the pack, if they have finished races at all.

Aston Martin have claimed just one point from the opening nine grand prix weekends of the season, hardly ideal for a team who harboured ambitions of challenging for the championship before the season began.

Aston Martin brought in design legend Newey in 2025, and also welcomed a new power unit partner in Honda. That new partnership has started horribly, while Newey’s start to life as Aston Martin team boss has done nothing to suggest that he will add to the 26 world championships that he has won across his career with his new team.

But, taking on both a managing technical partner role and a role as team principal, Newey has now revealed how important it is for Aston Martin to be listening to Stroll and Alonso, as they try to get to the bottom of the AMR26’s issues.

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Newey listening to driver concerns

Two-time world champion Alonso is now 44 years of age, and is the most experienced F1 racer in the history of the sport.

Speaking to media at Aston Martin’s Silverstone factory prior to the British Grand Prix, Newey acknowledged it had been ‘extremely frustrating’ for Alonso and Stroll due to the issues with the AMR26 and the Honda power unit.

He said that he feels compelled to spend time “going through with both Fernando and Lance exactly what we’re doing, what we have planned with the upgrade package, what we have planned through going into the 2027 season.

“Whilst it might not seem like it, we are very much listening to their comments and trying to act upon it,” Newey continued.

“If people don’t feel as if they’re being heard then they of course get very frustrated; it’s human reactions.

“So perhaps we’ve been guilty of not spending enough time with Fernando and Lance, Jak [Crawford, reserve driver] here, kind of going through exactly what we are trying to achieve with the upgrade package.”

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