What if Max Verstappen is banned at Silverstone?

Another Grand Prix weekend, another look at Max Verstappen’s potential race ban…The Dutchman is cutting it fine for a ban, but survived Canada to race at the Red Bull Ring. Can he survive another weekend, and what would happen if he didn’t?

What we know

• Verstappen sits on 11 penalty points, one more point would take him to 2 and a subsequent race ban

• Max has a different engineer this weekend, with Gianpiero ‘GP’ Lambiase absent and Simon Rennie (formerly with Daniel Ricciardo) in his place, at a circuit where knowledge of traffic is crucial

• 17 year old Arvid Lindblad - who’s been granted a special exemption for a Super Licence - will make his FP1 debut at Silverstone for Red Bull, regardless

A single infraction in Austria (or in sessions leading up to the British GP) for Verstappen will thrust attention upon the Dutchman and open up the door to options for a race partnership with Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull, but who could join the Japanese driver should Max miss out?

📸 Tsunoda has so far struggled to an impact in the Red Bull.

Option 1 - Isack Hadjar

The in form rookie has set Red Bull’s sister team Racing Bulls alight since his debut, and has been very impressive, with five top 10 finishes in his first 10 races. He’s spoken of his desire to race for the top team, and Helmut Marko is a big fan.

Option 2 - Liam Lawson

He may not be having the season he hoped for, but Lawson holds the advantage of having driven this Red Bull car, which makes him an appealing option.

He’s been outshone but his rookie teammate Hadjar this season but there’s no doubting Lawson is a very strong driver.

Option 3 - Arvid Lindblad

For me the likely outcome would be either of the above two jump into the car and are replaced by Lindblad in the sister team car…buuuttt, if Lindblad is due to have a sample of the Red Bull, why not just give him the whole weekend?

He’s come on leaps and bounds and is incredibly highly rated with good cause. He’s got natural speed and ability, is having a good season this far in Formula 2 from Campos where he sits third overall…as a 17 year old rookie. Bags of ability, even bigger bags of potential.

Option 4 - Sergio Perez

They wouldn’t, would they? Perez left the team in acrimonious circumstances, having signed a new deal with Red Bull midway through 2024 but was unceremoniously dumped in favour of Lawson ahead of the 2025 season.

He knows the team, he knows how to work the car and would have a week to jump in a simulator and see where he is performance-wise.

Strangely enough, I can’t see this one happening, given the above happenings.

📸 Image credits: Formula Motorsport Limited, Red Bull Content Pool.