Kimi Antonelli tipped as Max Verstappen replacement if Red Bull star quits F1

After years of Mercedes eyeing Red Bull’s line-up for Lewis Hamilton’s successor, the roles could soon be reversed.

That’s according to Johnny Herbert, who reckons Kimi Antonelli has the potential to replace Max Verstappen should he quit Formula 1.

Kimi Antonelli backed to replace Max Verstappen

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Verstappen made it known during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend that he was thinking about his future in Formula 1 as he is not happy with the new battery-dependent racing.

“I don’t get upset about it,” he said. “I don’t get disappointed or frustrated by it anymore with what’s going on.

“You know how I think about stuff, I don’t need to mention it again. So a lot of stuff obviously for me personally to figure out.”

He doubled down on that 24 hours later, saying: “I’m thinking about everything inside this paddock… You just think about, is it worth it? Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family, seeing my friends more when you’re not enjoying your sport?”

But as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words, and 24 hours after the Japanese GP, Verstappen was doing what he loves best, lapping the Nürburgring in a GT3 car.

While his stablemates conducted a Pirelli tyre test at the Suzuka Circuit, he was behind the wheel of a Mercedes GT3 car and “enjoyed it out there.”

It begs the question: what next for Red Bull should he leave?

Although Verstappen is contracted through to the end of 2028, he’s in the position that if he wants to quit Formula 1, Red Bull won’t force him to stay.

The team already has a replacement in Isack Hadjar, who has proven to be solid – although no Max – in his first season with Red Bull while Arvid Lindblad has shown signs that he could be a star of the future

Red Bull, though, need one known.

Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert says they should look to Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.

At present Antonelli is up against George Russell for the role of team leader in a sport where having two number ones doesn’t always do the trick. Antonelli would take that role alone at Red Bull.

“There’s always the next one. And who is the next one at the present time? Kimi,” he told RN365.

“He’s the next generation that’s going to be coming along. Will he be better than Max? Potentially.

“Everything for me was always Ayrton. And then Lewis [Hamilton] came along, and he sort of did what Michael Schumacher [did], and then there’s that bigger jump in performance.

“And then Max has come along, and it’s another jump in performance. So they always get better and that never stops.

“Kimi, potentially, is the next one who’s going to do exactly the same thing. So there’s your replacement.

“There’s your ‘wow’ driver that comes into it.”

Herbert, though, would rather see Verstappen continue in F1 with Red Bull.

“Yes, he’d be missed, absolutely,” Herbert added. “I hope he sort of keeps his feet and bottom in the cockpit.

“I don’t want him to leave because I love what he does. He’s got that ‘wow factor’ about him. There are occasions when even I go, ‘wow, I couldn’t do that’.”

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