BREAKING: Christian Horner is considering two driver options as he prepares to decide on Max Verstappen’s replacement.

Christian Horner is considering two driver options as he gets ready to decide on a replacement for Max Verstappen.

Christian Horner is considering Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar as possible replacements for Max Verstappen if the reigning world champion faces a one-race suspension. Verstappen currently has 11 penalty points, only one point away from reaching the 12-point threshold that would result in an automatic ban.

During the Spanish Grand Prix, his most recent infraction took place when Verstappen was instructed to yield position to George Russell. Instead, he executed an aggressive maneuver to reclaim it and made contact with the Mercedes driver. As a result, the stewards imposed a 10-second time penalty on him and added three penalty points to his super license.

With two race weekends remaining before any points are cleared, Verstappen faces a significant threat. PlanetF1 reports that if he receives a ban, Red Bull intends to choose his replacement from within their team. Lawson and Hadjar—both currently racing for the Racing Bulls—are emerging as the leading contenders.

Liam Lawson has some experience with the RB21, but his rocky start to the 2025 season makes returning to the Red Bull team challenging. After merely two races, he found himself replaced by team bosses Christian Horner and Helmut Marko due to difficulties handling pressure at age 23.

Isack Hadjar faced a challenging start to his F1 career, experiencing a crash on the formation lap of his debut race. Nevertheless, the French rookie has made an impressive comeback by scoring points in five of the last eight Grands Prix and demonstrating remarkable speed during qualifying sessions.

This situation might also create an opportunity for a new driver to debut with Racing Bulls. Despite Ayumu Iwasa, the team’s official reserve driver, having extensive experience in free practice sessions, reports suggest that Christian Horner and Helmut Marko are leaning towards Arvid Lindblad—if he receives special permission from the FIA to race at just 17 years old.

Lindblad secured his first Formula Two feature race win in the latest round held in Barcelona, establishing himself as a formidable contender for the title. He kicked off his rookie season with an outstanding record of 11 consecutive top-10 finishes.