Red Bull has “enough drivers” if Max Verstappen receives one-race F1 ban

Red Bull “desperately” hopes that star driver Max Verstappen doesn’t pick up another F1 penalty point over the course of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, which would earn him a one-race ban from the series. But, if that does happen, team principal Christian Horner believes the side has “enough drivers” to cope with his temporary exit.

Verstappen now has 11 penalty points following his contact with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix, putting him perilously close to the 12-point limit that would enforce a one-race ban.

Due to the unique contractual situation at Red Bull, as the team’s parent company also owns Racing Bulls, Horner has four full-time F1 drivers at his disposal. It’s this unique arrangement that afforded the team the fluidity to switch Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson earlier this season.

Asked on Sky F1 what this would mean for the team should Verstappen receive a ban, Horner confirmed that the side has plenty of drivers to call upon to pilot the RB21. However, it has been suggested that the team would prefer to avoid disrupting junior driver Arvid Lindblad’s Formula 2 campaign, as the Anglo-Swede is eight points behind championship leader Alex Dunne.

Lindblad received special dispensation and was approved for his F1-grade superlicence earlier this week, despite falling below the FIA’s minimum age limit of 18.

Race winner Arvid Lindblad, Campos Racing

Photo by: Formula Motorsport Ltd

“Arvid Lindblad is at the very beginning of his journey in Formula 1, having been granted that license,” Horner said. 

“First of all, [Max receiving a ban is] a situation that we want to desperately try and avoid.

“And should it come, we’ve got enough drivers to draw upon from the pool of Red Bull drivers.

Asked if Isack Hadjar would be in the frame, Horner declined to say who would get first refusal, stating: “we would deal with it *if* it happened.”

The likely course of action would be to put Liam Lawson or Hadjar in the car, with Racing Bulls reserve Ayumu Iwasa on standby to deputise for either.

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Gabriel Bouys / AFP / Getty Images

On the subject of Yuki Tsunoda’s progress in the second car, Horner reckoned that the Japanese driver’s qualifying crash at Imola had shaken some of his confidence, but believes that he is restoring some of that with seat time.

Tsunoda was given some running after Barcelona in Red Bull’s RB19, which Horner felt was a considerable benefit.

“You can’t underestimate the shunt that he had in Imola,” Horner explained. “I think that knocked his confidence a little in the last couple of races, but he did a TPC [Test Previous Cars] test in Barcelona following the race there, and I think that was really good for him.

“And hopefully he can build that confidence back here this weekend. It’s a track he likes, so hopefully he can have a good run.

“I think if you look at the way the cars have been developed over the last five years, you’re always dealing with the information that you have to try and produce the fastest car that you can. And sometimes fast cars are difficult cars to drive. 

“Max has a very acute ability to be able to extract the maximum. Yuki came in and, you know, was finding his feet reasonably to begin with. 

“That incident in Imola did, you know, did affect his confidence. But on the metrics, we see he’s actually closer to Max. Hopefully, with a bit of time and confidence, performances will come.”