Who Next for Red Bull?

[Paul Jeffrey]

With Ricciardo off to Renault, Red Bull have something of a dilemma heading into 2019... but who is ready to step into one of the most sought after seats on the F1 grid?

It's been a while since Red Bull needed to look for a new driver heading into the off season in Formula One, so long in fact that the steady stream of youngsters vying for a drive at sister team Toro Rosso seems to have run out...

With the all seeing eye of Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz and the team management over in Milton Keynes set to have their hands full in the coming weeks and months as they look for a suitable replacement for the outbound Daniel Ricciardo, the Australian seven time Grand Prix winner leaving a sizeable hole to fill in the Red Bull driving strength following his recently announced move over to Renault for 2019, it remains to be seen who looks most likely to fill the new vacancy at the former World Championship winning outfit next season.

So do the team opt for one of the current Toro Rosso "junior" drivers, a youngster from their pool of junior formula driving talent, or an experienced hand capable of stepping in and performing right from the green light in Melbourne? Let's have a look at the obvious choices -

Toro Rosso - Pierre Gasly
Still a relatively young man at only 22 years of age, Gasly is currently in his first full season of Formula One racing for the junior Red Bull team, and as such remains something on an unknown quantity in Formula One terms. Sometimes fast and occasionally invisible despite what looks to be a very decent car from Toro Rosso, Gasly could well be a bit of a gamble for Red Bull, despite what looks to be an obvious quality just waiting to be polished with experience.

Toro Rosso - Brendon Hartley
With an impeccable record away from Formula One capped by no less than two World Championships and Le Mans victory in sportscar racing, Hartley has frankly failed to deliver in what is in effect his second chance at Formula One with the Red Bull family. Likeable away from the circuit, Hartley has spent much of 2018 looking like a haunted man in the Formula One paddocks of the world, and it will take a monumental effort for the Kiwi to retain his seat at Toro Rosso next year, never mind moving up to the sister team.

Formula Three - Dan Ticktum
A bit of a dark horse within the Red Bull driver program, Ticktum has spent much of his career so far away from any serious limelight, however the 19-year-old Englishman is doing much to change that image in 2018 thanks to a stellar series of performances in the highly competitive Formula Three championship, snatching some impressive race victories as he looks to add another trophy to his Macau Grand Prix win of 2017.

Formula E - Jean-Eric Vergne
Very much an outside bet, Vergne remains well regarded in the Red Bull family despite a surprising exit from Formula One at the hands of the company when he left Toro Rosso at the end of 2014. With Brendon Hartley proving that it's never too late to make a comeback, Vergne remains an outside bet thanks to both his undoubted pace, experienced picked up with his current Ferrari test driver role and of course the success achieved in Formula E, where the 28-year-old Frenchman recently secured his first drivers championship this year.


With such relatively slim pickings from the Red Bull family available to call upon next season, it is not entirely out of the question that the team could look outside of the driver development fold for another experienced hand from elsewhere on the grid. Should Red Bull take this route one immediately has to look at such talent as Fernando Alonso over at McLaren, the former double World Champion looking increasingly disappointed at life in Woking, and with the Spaniard keen to try for Indy 500 success again, and Red Bull having Honda power next year (a key manufacturer in the IndyCar series), the idea of an Alonso / Red Bull arrangement isn't as far fetched as it might seem.. although quite how the now 37-year-old would feel about being reunited with a "GP2 engine" remains to be seen....

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Who do you think would be a good fit at Red Bull next season? Young gun, former F1 racer or experienced charger? Let us know in the comments section below!​

 

[crannykart]

Sainz?

 

[LeSunTzu]

Gasly is the obvious choice in that list. If they wanted to give another chance to JEV, they wouldn't have called back Hartley instead.

 

[Jacco van der Zaag]

Kvyat!

 

[Andy-R]

Maldonado.

 

[Marcel Offermans]

I think they should make the car a bit bigger next season and give Rudy van Buren a shot!

 

[Yapci]

Sainz?

Verstappen doesn’t want that

 

[NDG]

They better try and chase Lando Norris. Whatta waste if he goes to Mclaren. I thought I read somewhere that RedBull do want him but Mclaren won't budge. But Mclaren wants James Key of ToroRosso, so anything is still possible. They just need to meet somewhere.

 

[Nick Milton]

Ted kravitz, obviously.

 

[LEDzZzEPP]

What about Alonso to RB (whit a car who can win races) & Sainz to McL...?, whould be nice to see

 

[LeSunTzu]

What about Alonso to RB (whit a car who can win races) & Sainz to McL...?, whould be nice to see

 

[Craig Dunkley]

I do not believe that Sainz would want to be the Dutchman's wing-man (to much tension) so that only really leaves one ..Gasly.

 

[Nick Hill]

I really don't want to see Hartley or Gasly personally, but I suspect it'll be one of those 2.

 

[Nico]

I guess Gasly is the most reasonable option despite his youth and relative lack of experience. He at least has some experience with the Honda engine that will be very valuable to Red Bull. Plus he would be a newcomer to the team who surely won't be a problem for Max at first, unlike Sainz who isn't precisely a friend of the Dutch star. I feel bad for Carlos, he definitely has talent but this season has been terrible for him. We knew he had trouble trying to secure a seat for the next season, but I think nobody expected such a risky move from the aussie. I guess this also leaves the future of the Force India drivers in the air as well. I recall reading that Ocon was "very confident" about his future no more than a week ago. Wonder if that is still the case.

All of this also makes me wonder about the future of Toro Rosso. If Red Bull becomes a winning structure with the Honda engine and established young drivers that could last very long with the team, what would be the purpose of the sister team? As far as I know the RB Academy isn't going through its strongest moment, they fired almost all of their drivers not too long ago. The only reason Hartley is in F1 it's simply because they ran out of "young promises" from their academy when they fired Kyvat. And even though I feel like Brendon had a lot of bad luck this year, he is also showing why they ditched him so long ago. If there's nobody from the academy who qualifies for TR's seats, what is the purpose of the academy then? Will TR start hiring outsiders like every other team does?

 

[Durge Driven]

Kimi

lol

 

[DaVeX↯]

Kubiza!
Nah just kidding but would be awesome some sort of market scheme with drivers names and where they are going or supposed to...I am confused right now about who is hiring who, where and when and how...

 

[tonio duran]

Mod Edit: this is an English speaking forum please use that language when you post.
Even if you have to use Google translate.

 

[Devon Peak]

I'm petitioning for Jamie Chadwick to at the very least get signed on as a RB development driver (I don't believe she has a super license yet but she'll get there soon enough). I've been a fan of her for about a year now, but with her BRDC F3 win yesterday, I'm believing more and more that she will have a real chance to make it.

 

[Angelo dos Santos]

Logic says it have to be Sainz.
Unless he already cut the ties with Red Bull, to have a Mclaren contract, lets say.

If not...It doesnt matter what Verstappen wants or not. That is simply the logic move and one that Sainz would like to take.

 

[Kjell81d]

Sainz?

If not, I believe he's said he not going back to STR.