Schumacher dismisses Leclerc as Red Bull option amid Verstappen uncertainty

As speculation grows over Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future, Ralf Schumacher has dismissed Charles Leclerc as a potential Red Bull successor.

Although Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull that runs through to the end of the F1 2028 season, the four-time world champion has made it known that he isn’t sure that he will see out his contract.

Ralf Schumacher plays down Charles Leclerc Red Bull move

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Four-time world champion Verstappen has been one of the most vocal critics of Formula 1’s new regulations.

F1’s new 50/50 split between combustion and electrical power is “anti-racing” according to the Red Bull driver, “Mario Kart”, “Mushroom Mode” and everything he hates about the new era of Formula E on “steroids”.

This has led the Dutchman to suggest his F1 days may soon be over.

Speaking after qualifying in Japan, where he was P11, he said: “I don’t get upset about it. 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 yeah, a lot of stuff obviously for me, personally, to figure out.”

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Pressed on what he needs to think about, Verstappen simply replied: “Life here.”

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?”

It begs the question: if Verstappen leaves, who replaces him?

Although Red Bull has been a team that has drawn on its own junior programme, there isn’t a Verstappen-esque replacement waiting in the wings.

While Isack Hadjar has done well in his first three races with Red Bull, as Arvid Lindblad has with Racing Bulls, neither has yet shown they can be the next Verstappen.

The question was put to former F1 driver Schumacher with Ferrari driver Leclerc mentioned as a possible candidate.

In his eighth season with Ferrari, but with only eight wins, Leclerc’s manager Nicholas Todt hinted last season that the driver won’t be in red for much longer unless the results start to go his way.

Leclerc denied that at the time, adamant that his goal in Formula 1 is to win with Ferrari.

But that hasn’t stopped the speculation.

Put to Schumacher on Sky Deutschland’s podcast, he believes Leclerc to Red Bull is a two-fold issue – Red Bull’s progress in the new era and Ferrari’s need to hold onto the Monegasque driver.

“Well,” he said, “I think we have to be honest here, Red Bull isn’t really the obvious choice in the current set-up.

“It’s another long-term project – starting with engine development, which they’ve actually done well.

“The team is a bit of a mess at the moment; things are a bit chaotic, and there’s no proper communication with the outside world. Dr Helmut Marko is also missing as a figurehead to, how shall I put it, provide some guidance, in my opinion.

“And so, I wouldn’t know whether it would make sense for Charles Leclerc to switch from a team that’s just starting to function properly. I can’t imagine Ferrari are actually considering it either.

“It wouldn’t be very clever, because I think Lewis Hamilton’s situation is foreseeable under normal, let’s say, conditions, simply due to his age, and they need to develop new young drivers, but then they’d have to keep one, namely Charles Leclerc.

“So it’s actually not advisable.”

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