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Max Verstappen made a splash when he made his F1 debut at just 17 years, five months and 13 days old, but could he really be thinking about leaving the sport for good at 28?

This is something Red Bull are now having to consider as they look at lining up the Dutchman’s successor, and one insider of the sport believes the answer to an eventual Verstappen exit comes from within their own talent pool.

The energy drink giants have somewhat exhausted their driver ranks over the past couple of years, with three drivers taking on the role of Verstappen’s team-mate since Sergio Perez was dropped from the position at the end of the 2024 campaign.

Liam Lawson was given just two race weekends before being demoted back down to Racing Bulls last year, and Yuki Tsunoda was left without a full-time seat altogether for 2026, instead staying within the Red Bull family as a test and reserve driver.

But as rumours swirl over a potential promotion up to F1 for Red Bull junior and F2 star Nikola Tsolov, ex-F1 engineer Gary Anderson believes Arvid Lindblad is the most promising talent Red Bull has to offer.

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Is Lindblad ready to replace Verstappen at Red Bull?

In an article for The Race, Anderson wrote: “Red Bull might just have found its next Max Verstappen. It’s very early in his Formula 1 career, but what I’ve seen from Arvid Lindblad in 2026 so far has been very impressive.”

The Racing Bulls star has rather flown under the radar in his rookie year in the pinnacle of motorsport, but as Anderson explained, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing: “What stands out is how he’s quietly gone about his job and has looked the part from the beginning, when he finished eighth on his F1 debut in the Australian Grand Prix,” he continued.

Pointing to what it was specifically about Lindblad’s approach that caught his eye, Anderson continued: “He has a take-no-prisoners approach, and that’s what has caught my attention.

The similarities to Verstappen are clear

“Yes, he’s fast, but that is the kind of mentality you need if you are to be more than just a decent driver in F1.

“There are some similarities with how Verstappen slotted in at Toro Rosso back in 2015, showing real ability right off the cuff.”

Make no mistake, Anderson is by no means saying Lindblad is ready to step into the Dutchman’s shoes should Verstappen choose to exit the team in the near future.

“Let’s be clear, he is a long way away from Verstappen’s level right now,” he added.

“It’s just seven races into his Formula 1 career, so he needs time to mature, but I would not be surprised to see him improve dramatically as the season goes on, particularly in terms of getting better and more consistent results.”

So where does this leave the British-Swedish driver?

Anderson had some parting advice for the 18-year-old that he believes has a bright future ahead of him: “The message to Lindblad should be simple: we don’t want you next year unless there’s a very unexpected vacancy, but the year after we probably will.

“So make sure you are in a position to raise your game whenever we need you. That is the sensible route, to let him mature at Racing Bulls, sharpen his racecraft, settle into the weekends, learn how to turn pace into results, and take the opportunities when they come.

“But if Verstappen does move on, Red Bull should not panic. Judging by what Lindblad has shown already, it just might have the answer to the problem of losing the four-time world champion within its own young driver system.”

Ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, Lindblad is P13 in the drivers’ championship with 13 points to his name.

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