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Oscar Piastri has been linked as a potential replacement for Max Verstappen as the Dutchman has talks with McLaren. But Ralf Schumacher reckons Oliver Bearman would be a better option.
Verstappen is considering leaving Red Bull at the end of the 2026 season. He is free to activate his exit clause in his contract over the summer break, and his camp have been speaking to rival teams.
It is said that Verstappen will stay at Red Bull, but he is yet to confirm this officially. Until there is that announcement, the F1 driver market will continue to swirl up rumours, and the Milton Keynes outfit have multiple options.
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Ralf Schumacher tells Red Bull to ‘take a risk’ on Oliver Bearman to replace Max Verstappen
Piastri has an exit clause in his McLaren contract and is thinking about his future. There has been speculation about his relationship with the team following last year’s championship battle.
The Aussie could do a straight swap with Verstappen amid his talks with McLaren, but Schumacher thinks Red Bull are monitoring better targets.
David Croft says Red Bull are looking at Bearman as a potential option, and speaking via Sky Germany’s Backstage Boxengasse podcast, Schumacher says the Haas driver would be his ‘first choice.’
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Oliver Bearman from F1 stats to net worth
“Yes, well, if it were possible to get him, then my first choice would probably be Oliver Bearman, if it weren’t for the experience factor,” he said.
“If I were worried and couldn’t rely on Hadjar, because you have more information when you look at the data, which I can’t judge from the outside. I’d say you can rely on him.”
Carlos Sainz has also been linked with Red Bull as he considers leaving Williams in 2026. He wants to return to a top team, but Schumacher would put Bearman ahead of him to replace Verstappen, should he leave.
If you were Max Verstappen, would you stay at Red Bull or move on?
Verstappen has been linked with McLaren, but could also retire or take a sabbatical
He continued: “Then of course there’s Carlos Sainz, who’s a good driver. The only problem so far is that he’s yet to prove himself. I’ll say this straight away, before I get any more comments, just as I had to prove in my day that you really can compete for the World Championship.
“Carlos Sainz has done a very solid job, and that’s why I’d rather back Bearman, who I believe has great potential for the future, is incredibly clear-headed, incredibly likeable and, in my opinion, deserves a chance in a good car.
“I just can’t imagine why Ferrari would let him go – it’s beyond my comprehension how that could happen – because even if Hamilton stays for another year, you might well think that at some point it’ll finally be over. Why on earth would they let such a gem go?”
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