Red Bull have another ‘incredibly talented’ junior after Arvid Lindblad who could solve their 2026 line-up dilemma

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Red Bull faces a dilemma if they let Max Verstappen leave the team to join Mercedes for the 2026 season.

Not only have they lost their star driver after an exodus of some of their staff from their inner success circle, but they might not have anyone ready to replace the four-time world champion.

This is the problem when you put all your eggs into the Verstappen basket without a proper plan to develop younger talent once they reach F1.

Their RB21 and its preceding machinery are all designed to maximise Verstappen’s potential on track, with Alex Albon once noting the ‘eye-wateringly sharp’ car characteristics he likes.

So if Mercedes finally pulls off a coup and Toto Wolff finally gets to employ Verstappen after losing out in his junior career, who will they get next? The obvious answer would be Arvid Lindblad, but there is another junior who is quietly making progress, according to Red Bull insiders who spoke to Marca.

Red Bull should promote ‘incredibly talented’ Pepe Marti

Red Bull have several young talents it can choose from, with Lindblad pipped as the next driver to come through after his FP1 outing at Silverstone.

Now, it appears another talent in Formula 2 could be on the roster having won two races in the feeder series already this year.

Pepe Marti has been grabbing the attention of a few in the paddock with his results, with him currently sitting seventh in the championship.

Red Bull coach Marco Barba believes this season is critical for his chances in the near future: “Pepe is incredibly talented and is in a crucial year to take the next step.”

Barba thinks Marti is one of the drivers that is worth taking the risk on, considering his results in the feeder categories: “He has the wood of a winner, he just needs the right opportunity.”

Pepe Marti’s ties to Fernando Alonso

One thing that Marti has going for him is his links to Fernando Alonso, having been one of the drivers who is in his A14 Management driver roster.

This avenue worked for current F1 driver Gabriel Bortoleto, who recently impressed for Sauber when he outqualified and finished ahead of experienced driver Nico Hulkenberg in Austria.

Red Bull are no stranger to having two relatively inexperienced drivers in their lineup, having brought Daniil Kvyat through to the main team after one season to replace Sebastian Vettel in 2015.

If Marti continues to put in good results and achieve regular podiums in F2, expect see him participate in one or two FP1 outings in a bid to secure a superlicence.