Red Bull are looking for a teammate for Verstappen: why is it so difficult?

The driver is a very important link in an F1 team. A top driver gets the most out of the car, but is also able to indicate in which direction the team should develop the car. Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are unique drivers who have managed to do that within their teams. Finding a suitable partner for that is difficult.

Because a top driver naturally attracts so much to himself, another driver always enters 'the team of'. It happened to Pierre Gasly. As a young dog, he wanted to try things himself, to the displeasure of Red Bull Racing. Alexander Albon conformed a bit more to Verstappen's setup, but was nowhere near Verstappen's times. Sergio Perez came closest, but was mentally crushed in 2023.

What makes Red Bull's quest so difficult

Ferrari proved good at finding that second man in the Michael Schumacher years. With Eddie Irvine, Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa, the team always found an experienced driver who was just not fast enough to really pose a problem for Schumacher or the team. However, that driver did continuously ensure that enough points were scored in the world championship.

Perez will do the same in 2023. The Mexican is second in the world championship and Red Bull Racing has already secured the constructors' world title. Yet there are doubts about Perez. After his lost title dream, he has fallen way back and the gap to Verstappen is big. Too big, if Red Bull wants to keep winning the world title in the coming years.

That is why they are looking at better options, but it is not easy. Finding someone with the right mix of experience and speed is not easy. Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris would be perfect drivers when it comes to speed and experience, but both also have a mountain of ambitions. The dream of becoming world champion yourself has to be put on ice somewhere if you want to make the move to Max Verstappen's team. It is therefore not surprising that Norris would have said 'no' to Red Bull.

Who could replace Perez at Red Bull?

Nico Hulkenberg was also mooted, but wasn't he beaten by Sergio Perez in their time together at Racing Point? So an upgrade in terms of speed does not seem likely there. Alexander Albon has made the necessary improvements at Williams since leaving Red Bull, but the Thai is locked in with the Grove-based team. Of course, contracts can always be bought off, but does the Thai himself fancy stepping in alongside Verstappen again, just when he is the man at Williams?

Daniel Ricciardo was also put forward, but will he do better than Perez? Ricciardo was the best teammate Verstappen ever had between 2016 and 2018, but five years on, things have changed. Verstappen has grown immensely as a driver, where the Australian had to endure major knocks, especially at McLaren. You cannot expect him to return to the level of 2017 just like that, and even then you have to wonder if it is enough?

From misery, rumours then turn to Fernando Alonso. Of course, as a driver the best man you could wish for as a Red Bull driver. Very fast, very experienced, but also quite impulsive. Verstappen will also win the duel with Alonso, but the Spaniard is known to cause division within a team. Is that what you want as Red Bull? No, you look for someone somewhat willing to settle for a role as second driver.

The ideal teammate for Verstappen

You can see at Mercedes what happens when you put two 'first drivers' in one team. George Russell expects to be treated like Lewis Hamilton. This is always to the detriment of the team, as happened before with Nico Rosberg and Hamilton. When you already have Verstappen in the house and the best car in the F1 field, you don't want to bring in this kind of problem.

Although Red Bull Racing has the best car and is likely to have it through 2025, it is difficult to find a suitable driver to join the team. He has to be an improvement on Perez, should not cause division within the team and should settle for the role of second driver. The above shows that this is not so easy. It creates a dilemma at Red Bull.