Red Bull ‘very impressed’ with £2.5m-a-year driver and already have ‘close’ relationship with his manager

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Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner appears to be keeping a close eye on the Formula 1 driver’s market.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are signed up until the end of the 2028 and 2025 seasons, respectively.

However, various clauses in Red Bull contracts mean they could both depart the team much sooner than that.

Perez is under pressure at Red Bull and Liam Lawson’s expected promotion to RB could be an audition for his seat for next season.

Meanwhile, Verstappen is a target for Aston Martin after Adrian Newey’s move and Mercedes have courted Verstappen since losing Lewis Hamilton to Mercedes.

These are all factors in Horner’s comments that he would be silly not to consider George Russell as an option for Red Bull when his contract expires at the end of next season.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff dismissed Horner’s comments, but journalist Joe Saward believes Red Bull are keeping a close eye on other top drivers on the grid.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Although the Anglo-Austrian team have somewhat lost their way this year, there’s a strong chance that Verstappen still wins a fourth consecutive world championship this season.

Saward believes that Red Bull are big fans of McLaren star Oscar Piastri and believe they could find a way to draw him away from his current team.

Piastri is arguably the most exciting young star in motorsport at the moment and his two Grand Prix victories this season highlight his immense potential.

The trouble for McLaren is keeping the Australian and Lando Norris happy going forward.

Red Bull ‘very impressed’ with McLaren star Oscar Piastri

£2.5m-a-year driver is another driver on the grid who is currently signed up to a long-term contract.

McLaren are well aware of just how rare a talent the 23-year-old is and extended his deal before the end of his first season in Formula 1.

Piastri has been instructed to help Norris in his pursuit of a first world championship and if that behaviour continues then suddenly he may have to consider his options.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend

Speaking about the situation at Red Bull, Saward admitted that Piastri’s manager Mark Webber could end up playing a role: “If you ask around at Red Bull, they seem to be very impressed with Oscar Piastri (as we all are) and they see chinks in the Woking armour because Oscar’s manager Mark Webber is close to Red Bull and no doubt is intrigued by the question of how McLaren can keep two stars happy in the years ahead. That is a fair question.”

Oscar Piastri already has Max Verstappen trait

Piastri’s development as a driver has been extraordinary after achieving the rare feat of winning Formula 3 and Formula 2 in back-to-back seasons.

The nature of F1 meant that somehow didn’t lead to an immediate promotion onto the grid and his 2023 contract saga is well documented.

Ending up at McLaren instead of Alpine has been a godsend for Piastri and led to the Australian being discussed as a potential future world champion instead of a standout midfield star, a reputation that can be difficult to shake.

Piastri has been told he has a similar trait to Verstappen that is very rarely seen within an F1 driver.

It’s easy to see why Red Bull would be interested in Piastri given his record and the fact that he’s still improving.

Piastri previously admitted to being a Red Bull fan, and with the connection to Webber, if they spot an opportunity, it’s hard to see them not taking it.