Could Red Bull and McLaren potentially swap their drivers' line-up in the future?

16:40, 04 Jul

Updated: 17:37, 04 Jul

byTobia Elia

Christian Horner and Zak Brown addressed the unlikely scenario of a potential driver swap between Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, as the driver market continues to buzz with speculation.

Could a scenario ever emerge in which Max Verstappen joins McLaren and Oscar Piastri makes the reverse move to Milton Keynes? The chances of that happening are, of course, close to zero — as both Christian Horner and Zak Brown confirmed during the team principals' press conference at Silverstone.

Could Verstappen potentially join McLaren?

''I think we've always taken a position of respecting the contracts that the drivers have with their existing teams,'' Horner told media including GPBlog.

''They've got two great drivers, they're pushing each other hard and they're managing to maintain a healthy relationship, which is always a significant challenge when you've got two very competitive drivers fighting for the ultimate prize in Formula 1.''

''But every team is different. I wouldn't expect either of those guys, why would they be wanting to step out of what currently is the fastest car at the moment?''

''That's the way it goes when you're at the front of the field and leading the pack. So I'd be astounded if there was any change to what they've committed to.''

Brown, on the other hand, was much more direct and to the point: ''Our drivers aren't going anywhere. They're very happy. We're very happy. So there's no need to look at any other drivers on the grid.''