Red Bull Identified 'Exceptional' Driver To Replace Max Verstappen's

Saajan Jogia | 3 Hours Ago

Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Circuit on May 19, 2024 in Imola, Italy. / Clive Rose/Getty Images

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has identified 13-year-old Rocco Coronel as an "exceptional" talent who could take Max Verstappen's place in the future, considering his "mature" composure and self-confidence, qualities crucial for climbing the ranks of motorsport.

Many of Red Bull’s world champions, including Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, owe their entry into Formula 1 to Marko, whose sharp eye for talent played a pivotal role in guiding them to immense success in the sport. Despite the Dutchman's entry into the Red Bull family in the Toro Rosso junior team (now VCARB) nearly a decade ago in 2015, when he was only 17 years old, Marko hasn't stopped looking for the next best driver.

Marko sees huge potential in Coronel, who has earned a place for himself in Red Bull's junior program. His father, Tom Coronel, has raced across Le Mans, Touring Cars, and the Dakar Rally. Speaking to GPBlog.com after Coronel had passed his test with flying colors, Marko said:

“We were very surprised by Rocco.

“He is 13 years old, so he was younger than Max when we started with him. There were several good drivers, but for his age, Rocco Coronel was definitely exceptional.”

The 81-year-old advisor noticed several similarities between Rocco and Verstappen, considering their level of maturity, self-confidence, and the influence of their father, who have had a successful career in racing. He added:

“[Rocco] is quite mature.

“He has self-confidence, and also has a pretty dominant father, it seems, in the Netherlands.

“But then his father stopped talking, and he [Rocco] told more about himself.

“I’m impressed with how he keeps the balance between racing and school. So I’m sure that if Max ever quits, we might already have his successor in place.”

Coronel's father was impressed that his son got to test a Formula 4 and GP3 car in the Red Bull session. However, he remains glad that Rocco is neither nervous nor too impressed by his racing performance, a trait that could elevate him to higher levels in his career. As reported by Motorsportweek.com, he said:

“The great thing was that Rocco drove a Formula 4 car for a day.

“That went so well that they put him in a GP3 car the next day. It’s actually bizarre for a thirteen-year-old boy.

“But the great thing is that he’s very relaxed about it. I also try to play everything down a bit.

“It also ensures that he’s never nervous or very impressed by anything. Not even during that test.”