Red Bull could give 2026 F1 hopeful his debut if Max Verstappen picks up penalty points ban

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Red Bull Racing have to be prepared in case Max Verstappen picks up a ban for exceeding 12 penalty points before the end of the season.

There are two drivers who are close to picking up a ban for exceeding Formula 1’s penalty points limit.

Haas rookie Oliver Bearman currently sits on 10 penalty points after being penalised for his collision with Carlos Sainz at the Italian Grand Prix.

Bearman has to survive the next four races without picking up two more points, or he’ll be handed a one-race ban.

The only other driver above six penalty points is Red Bull star Max Verstappen.

Verstappen has had to walk this tightrope for some time, and he was perilously close to sitting out of a race heading into the Austrian Grand Prix earlier in the season.

However, Andrea Kimi Antonelli took Verstappen out on the opening lap, which was very disappointing for the Dutchman, but it did see him step back from the brink of a ban.

The 27-year-old has nine penalty points, and if he were to fall foul of a serious misdemeanour at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he would need to be replaced for the upcoming race in Singapore.

Red Bull look set to hand F2 star Arvid Lindblad his chance if that scenario arises this weekend.

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Red Bull could call up F1 hopeful Arvid Lindblad if Max Verstappen picks up a one-race ban

A report from the Swiss outlet Blick has shared more details about the two drivers at the top of the penalty points table.

Both Haas and Red Bull will be preparing for the unfortunate eventuality that Bearman and Verstappen could have to miss a race in the near future.

For team principal Laurent Mekies, this would create the perfect opportunity to test Lindblad out across a race weekend.

Lindblad’s data impressed Red Bull during his FP1 session at Silverstone earlier in the season, and Blick’s report suggests that he ‘could’ be placed in Verstappen’s seat on a one-off basis if required.

Helmut Marko is keen to promote Lindblad into a Racing Bulls seat in 2026, which would spell bad news for one of the drivers in the Red Bull family right now.

Ralf Schumacher believes Yuki Tsunoda is unlikely to be on the grid next year, which would make sense if Isack Hadjar is promoted over the winter break and Liam Lawson is retained.

For Haas, the report suggests that Ryo Hirakawa is ‘likely to make’ his Formula 1 debut should Bearman pick up two more penalty points in the next four races.

The Japanese driver has taken part in practice sessions for Alpine and Haas this year, having previously been a part of McLaren’s driver academy.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad including his parents

Helmut Marko pushing for Arvid Lindblad’s F1 promotion despite Red Bull unease

Since Christian Horner’s departure, Helmut Marko appears to have regained some of his power behind the scenes at Red Bull.

Marko has always played a pivotal role in the development of Red Bull’s young drivers and their search for a suitable teammate for Verstappen.

Hadjar has impressed Marko recently, and his mental resiliency, combined with the upcoming regulations changes, makes a switch ahead of the 2026 season seem like a sensible move.

Marko is pushing for Lindblad to race in F1 next year, but not everyone within the team is convinced.

The 18-year-old has a superlicense, but he’s currently sitting seventh in the Formula 2 championship, below fellow Red Bull junior Pepe Marti.

He won’t win the championship and could spend another year at that level, although Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Bearman have both shown that the F2 standings aren’t a perfect indicator of a driver’s suitability for Formula 1.