Verstappen's departure from Red Bull Racing may shake the foundation under Christian Horner, but he doesn't seem bothered at all. In fact, he's already planning for the post-Verstappen era and allegedly has named two potential drivers!
We won't delve into how we arrived at the point where Verstappen's departure has become a real possibility; every serious F1 fanatic knows that inside out. What's far more intriguing is the scenario where, hypothetically, Horner isn't shown the door before the Australian Grand Prix, and instead, it's the trio of Verstappen/Marko/Newey who leave. In this case, rebuilding the team would be necessary, but according to press reports, Horner is absolutely unfazed by this prospect. He's convinced that Verstappen is not an indispensable element of the team and only piled up victories because he had the best car over the past few years.
The British team principal has already set his sights on the pairing of Alexander Albon and Oscar Piastri, which would mean Sergio Perez would also be sidelined, as his contract wouldn't be renewed—a move that seems due. However, both mentioned drivers are currently under contract with Williams and McLaren, respectively. Yet, this wouldn't deter Red Bull; reports suggest they would be willing to buy them out for astronomical sums. Additionally, Piastri's manager is Mark Webber, who has strong ties within Red Bull—a factor that makes this scenario not so far-fetched, especially if Horner makes it to the Australian Grand Prix.
