Helmut Marko earmarks the next Red Bull star who is "not the new Max Verstappen but the new champion"

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko said this week that junior driver Arvid Lindblad would not be a "new Max Verstappen" but could be a "new world champion". The Austrian team runs one of the most successful junior programs in the world of motorsport and has produced several world champions and talented drivers.

While speaking on the "Inside Line F1" podcast, the Austrian named Lindblad as the next exciting prospect from the junior stable but did not class him in the same category as Verstappen, saying:

"We are not looking for a new Max, we are looking for a new champion and I think the next one which looks really promising is Arvid Lindblad, whose father is Swedish and the mother is Indian" (8:00).

He added,

"He was in his first year in Formula 4, and even though he didn't win the championship, the same in F3 he could have won the championship but circumstances and so on but what makes him outstanding is his pure speed."

There are currently six F1 drivers on the 2024 grid from the Red Bull junior stable, four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen being the most notable example. In the past couple of years, the junior program has experienced a dynamic overhaul with many drivers being dropped to make way for fresher talents.

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Red Bull advisor gives his take on the potential Sergio Perez replacement

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko said Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsunoda impressed in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi. He added that Tsunoda was "one of many talents" in their stable that could potentially replace Sergio Perez for the 2025 season.

In his column for Sportsweek, the 81-year-old wrote about the VCARB driver's shot in the RB20.

"During the post-season tests, Yuki Tsunoda was allowed to take to the track in the RB20 and the team was happy with his technical feedback. In this respect, he is far better than people give him credit for. But he is just one of many talents that we have in our ranks."

Meanwhile, the Japanese driver said he was "didn't know" about the chances of racing alongside Max Verstappen next year. Tsunoda said (via NextGenAuto),

"I don’t know what will happen. But regardless of which team I’m with, what I have to do is still the same. It’s not just about Red Bull, because for all we know, RB could outperform them in development. It’s not like it has to be Red Bull necessarily. I just want to perform well and score points."

The former world champions had already offered Sergio Perez a contract extension after the Monaco Grand Prix earlier in the year. However, the team reportedly has the power to make the change ahead of the 2025 season, due to performance clauses in the contract.