Every team on the Formula 1 grid is trying to identify who will be the next star on the grid.
Mercedes appear to be closest to taking a gamble on a rookie for 2025 after Andrea Kimi Antonelli took part in his first F1 test this week.
In an interview with Kleine Zeitung, Helmut Marko has been asked about the prospect of finding another Max Verstappen.
Right now, the future of all four Red Bull drivers is up in the air.
While it looks like Verstappen will be staying until at least 2025 – despite Toto Wolff’s best efforts – he appears to have a clause in his contract that could see him leave before the end of his current deal.
Sergio Perez and both Visa Cash App RB drivers have entered the final years of their contracts.
Perez and Yuki Tsunoda are doing a great job at convincing the team they should be retained for next year.
However, Daniel Ricciardo appears to be under much more pressure with Liam Lawson waiting on the sidelines.
Asked about whether Red Bull have another Max Verstappen they can call upon in the future, Helmut Marko was sceptical but named Isack Hadjar in his response.
The 19-year-old is currently competing in Formula 2 and will be hoping that after Lawson, he’s the next in line to make the step up to F1.
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Helmut Marko namechecks Isack Hadjar when asked about next Max Verstappen
The series below Formula 1 have been littered with Red Bull-liveried cars for years but only one has earned a full-time race seat in the last five years.
That was Tsunoda back in 2021, but since then plenty of drivers have come and gone and lost their Red Bull status as a result.
Isack Hadjar is the latest star to have a crack at Formula 2, starting his second season at that level with Campos Racing in 2024.
He finished 14 in his first campaign at that level, securing a win in an albeit abandoned soaking Sprint Race in Zandvoort.
Hadjar dominated proceedings in the last round of F2 in Australia, winning both races but losing his Sprint Race victory due to a penalty.
Marko has suggested that Hadjar is unlucky not to be leading the championship right now but hasn’t gone as far as to say he’s the next Max Verstappen.
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Helmut Marko quick to praise ‘unlucky’ Red Bull star
Asked if Red Bull are already thinking about the next Max Verstappen, Marko said: “There will never be another Verstappen, at least I don’t see one at the moment.
“But we always deal with young drivers. For example, Isack Hadjar was recently unlucky in Formula 2, otherwise, he would be leading the series.”
Isack Hadjar already has some Formula 1 experience, taking part in a free practice session in Mexico City last year.
He was praised for his outing that weekend and former team boss Franz Tost suggested that Hadjar will be in Formula 1 soon.
Marko has already been told that Hadjar could force his way into his thinking and if Verstappen decided to move on, then another spot within the Red Bull group would be opened up.
The 19-year-old Frenchman has to wait patiently this season and make sure he wins the F2 title to give himself the best chance of a promotion.
The last two champions – Felipe Drugovich and Theo Pourchaire – failed to earn an F1 seat after their victories.
However, they won the championship in their third year at that level, while Hadjar would be achieving that feat in one less season.
The post ‘At the moment’: Helmut Marko namechecks 19-year-old F2 star when asked about the next Max Verstappen appeared first on F1 Oversteer.