Shocking: Max Verstappen sign a new deal to join Mer…

The friendship between Christian Horner and Chalerm Yoovidhya has been put to the test in recent weeks. (Photo courtesy of Getty)
Should Max Verstappen depart for Mercedes, Christian Horner might appease Red Bull owner Chalerm Yoovidhya by appointing Alex Albon as his replacement. In recent weeks, Verstappen has been associated with a departure from the Austrian constructor, and the Dutchman has emerged as a surprise contender for Mercedes, Red Bull’s competitors.

For Red Bull, everything have been going as usual on the track. Naturally, after two races, the dominant team in Formula One has two victories under their belt. Furthermore, Red Bull showed off its strength as they celebrated their comeback to racing by finishing one-two in both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix, with Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez finishing behind him.

Red Bull hasn’t been as dominant off the track, though, as a number of scandals have marred their otherwise outstanding season debut. One of them has concerned Verstappen’s future. It has been suggested that he could unexpectedly go to Mercedes in order to replace Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen is considered the next major star to cross the grid.

The favorite to succeed Max Verstappen at Red Bull is Alex Albon. (Photo courtesy of Getty)
If that proves to be the case, they will obviously need to choose a replacement. Team manager Horner may want to extend an olive branch to Red Bull owner Yoovidhya by signing fellow countryman Albon in light of the current issues.

According to Bild, Albon is the most likely contender to take Verstappen’s spot should the three-time world champion decide to go on to new adventures at the end of the current campaign or in the near future.