Red Bull’s Formula 1 driver academy has produced the likes of Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, but fans of junior formulas may see fewer drivers in their iconic navy blue and red livery going forward.
Team principal [autotag]Chrisitan Horner[/autotag] said on ESPN’s Unlapped! podcast that Red Bull plans on reducing its significant number of junior drivers in lower formulas. He specifically pointed out the numerous drivers in Formula 2, but mentioned that the team may look beyond that as well.
“We have a lot of drivers in Formula 2 this year,” Horner said on the podcast. “I think that will be thinned out moving forward and perhaps a refocus on perhaps some of the lower formulas as well.”
As it stands, Red Bull’s driver academy has seven drivers in F2. The highest-ranking one at the moment is Japanese driver Ayumu Iwasu, who sits in third place behind Sauber academy driver Theo Pourchaire and Mercedes academy driver Frederick Vesti.
The influence of Red Bull’s academy can be felt across the grid. Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda, Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon were all at one point affiliated with the academy, with more drivers waiting in the wings to join either Red Bull or their junior team in Scuderia AlphaTauri. Despite the intention to thin the herd in their academy, Horner stressed that finding new talent still remains a priority.
“A Max Verstappen or a Sebastian Vettel, they don’t come along every season,” Horner said. “So, it’s just making sure that you identify that talent when it does come along.”
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