Helmut Marko reveals Red Bull is preparing Max Verstappen replacement in Arvid Lindblad should the need arise

Red Bull's Helmut Marko has revealed that the team was giving Arvid Lindblad a taste of the F1 car, should Max Verstappen miss a race due to his penalty points situation. The Dutch driver comes to the Austrian GP with the cloud of a potential race ban over his head.

Verstappen has accrued 11 F1 penalty points over the last 12 months, and if, during the Austrian GP, he ends up picking up one more point, he would be forced to sit out a race. This is all a part of the penalty points system that was put in place to keep the driving standards above a threshold.

Under these regulations, if a driver picks up 12 F1 penalty points over a 12-month period, he/she get banned from a race. Kevin Magnussen suffered the same fate last season and was banned from the F1 Azerbaijan GP.

As a result, Helmut Marko has shared that Red Bull was preparing 17-year-old Arvid Lindblad in case Max Verstappen had to sit out for a race. The young driver was given an exemption when it comes to getting a super license, as it was previously not eligible for drivers below 18 years of age.

The young driver has been impressive, as he's already won multiple races in his rookie F2 season. Red Bull even gave the driver a private test. Talking to Kleine Zeitung, Marko said that Max Verstappen's penalty points situation has a role to play in it. He said:

"We're preparing in case something really happens to Max Verstappen regarding his penalty points. We currently have two reserve drivers: Lindblad and Ayumu Iwasa, whose Formula 1 schedules clash with his appearances in Japan. "We even had a deal with another team for some races; at one point, a reserve driver was even scheduled for three teams. It's not that easy to find someone who's in top shape. And that's why Lindblad is in the car now."

Helmut Marko not concerned about Max Verstappen's commitment

F1 Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna - Source: Getty

The 2025 F1 season has not been great, which has led Max Verstappen to claim that he didn't think a title battle was on the cards for him. As a result, the Dutch driver was also seen spending some time testing GT series cars.

Helmut Marko, however, was not too worried about the driver's commitment or focus, as he said:

"As soon as Max is at the track, he's fully focused. It's true that he doesn't spend as much time on the simulator anymore, and that's no secret: He enjoys the GT appearances of his team "Verstappen.com." It's a massive organization, and he's heavily involved in it. That keeps him in a good mood. If you want to see him smile, you have to talk to him about GT racing."

Verstappen heads to one of his favorite hunting grounds this weekend. The Dutch driver has won five times at the Red Bull Ring and will be hoping to put up a fight against the McLaren duo.

Edited by Hitesh Nigam