Alex Jacques says Red Bull would ‘undoubtedly’ target Oscar Piastri as Max Verstappen’s replacement 

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Formula 1 commentator Alex Jacques has claimed that Oscar Piastri could be someone Red Bull are looking at to replace Max Verstappen. 

Over the last few months, Verstappen’s future in the sport has been a major talking point. 

It is well documented that Verstappen is not a fan of the sport’s new regulations, having labelled them as ‘anti-driving’.

On the back of last month’s Japanese Grand Prix, it was reported that Verstappen is ’considering’ walking away from F1 at the end of 2026.

In addition, it was confirmed last week that Gianpiero Lambiase is set to leave Red Bull for McLaren in 2028, putting further doubt into Verstappen’s future.

Could Oscar Piastri replace Max Verstappen at Red Bull?

With Verstappen’s future up in the air, F1 commentator Jacques has claimed that Red Bull could be looking at McLaren star Piastri as a replacement. 

When commenting on Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad’s chances of winning an F1 race, Jacques touched on Red Bull’s potential vacancy if Verstappen decides to walk away.

The commentator then stated that Piastri would ‘undoubtedly’ be a target for the Milton Keynes-based outfit. 

Jacques wrote on the F1 website: “It’s a very big if, but if Verstappen were to leave Red Bull it would of course open up a seat at the multiple championship-winning team.

“Red Bull would undoubtedly target Oscar Piastri as Verstappen’s replacement but there is no guarantee he would leave McLaren.

“Red Bull traditionally prefer a promotion or even a re-promotion to an acquisition so if they couldn’t get the Aussie, that could open the door for Lawson or Lindblad to step up.”

Which McLaren driver will leave the team first?

Let us know your reasoning in the comments!

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READ MORE: David Coulthard says Max Verstappen will remain with Red Bull even if he leaves the F1 team

Oscar Piastri linked with Red Bull move ahead of 2027

Piastri has previously been linked with a move to Red Bull, with ‘paddock rumours’ claiming the Australian could move teams in 2027.

Speaking on the Inside the Piranha Club podcast, F1 journalist Rebecca Clancy claimed that rumours have linked Piastri with a Red Bull move for 2027. 

She said after the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: “What about this relationship between the drivers, because there were a lot of rumours about Piastri. We know that both McLaren drivers are signed on multi-year contracts; they never tell us exactly how long.

“Piastri’s contract is thought to the end of 2028; however, there were a lot of rumours in the paddock over the weekend that Piastri was looking to join Red Bull from 2027.”

Having already shown that he is capable of winning races and challenging for a world title, Piastri could be the perfect replacement for Verstappen.

Bringing in a driver like Piastri could also be a statement signing to show Red Bull’s desire to continue in the sport despite recent challenges.