RED BULL’S PROMOTED PROTEGES

Between Mark Webber joining the senior Red Bull squad for 2007 and Sergio Perez being signed to partner Max Verstappen for this year, all six drivers that the team hired were promoted from its Toro Rosso/Alphatauri junior operation.

SEBASTIAN VETTEL RED BULL STATS

Starts 113

Titles 4

Wins 38

Poles 44

Other podiums 27

Points 1577

In 2009, Vettel started the 12-year run of Red Bull recruiting only its junior proteges. He still boasts the team’s best record in the tallies that matter most (titles and wins) by a substantial margin, as he helped the team reach F1’s peak between 2010 and 2013.

MAX VERSTAPPEN RED BULL STATS

Starts 96

Titles 0 (Best: 3rd in 2019, 2020)

Wins 10

Poles 3

Other podiums 32

Points 1100

Red Bull’s big hope to recreate Vettel’s success. Won on his debut at Barcelona in 2016 after a feisty 23 races at Toro Rosso with Carlos Sainz Jr. Has had to endure Red Bull’s recent inadequacies, but has become Mercedes’ only threat at the front.

DANIEL RICCIARDO RED BULL STATS

Starts 100

Titles 0 (Best: 3rd in 2014, 2016)

Wins 7

Poles 3

Other podiums 22

Points 956

Red Bull hasn’t been able to adequately replace Ricciardo since his 2018 exit. He beat Jean-eric Vergne to the seat when Webber left after 2013, and his 2014 success likely nudged Vettel’s exit. In turn, Verstappen’s rise was a probable factor in his own departure.

PIERRE GASLY RED BULL STATS

Starts 12

Titles 0 (Best: 7th in 2019)

Wins 0

Poles 0

Podiums 0

Points 63

After putting in eye-catching displays for Toro Rosso in 2018, Gasly was announced as Ricciardo’s replacement for 2019. But things started badly with a heavy pre-season shunt and he then could not get near Verstappen, culminating in a mid-season demotion.

DANIIL KVYAT RED BULL STATS

Starts 21

Titles 0 (Best: 7th in 2015)

Wins 0

Poles 0

Podiums 2

Points 116

Kvyat’s tenure started a trend of the team arguably promoting its juniors too early. A promising start in 2015 still featured several crashes, and a bumpy early 2016 seemed to give Red Bull its chance to quickly (and ruthlessly) replace him with Verstappen.

ALEX ALBON RED BULL STATS

Starts 26

Titles 0 (Best: 7th in 2020)

Wins 0

Poles 0

Podiums 2

Points 181

Albon replaced Gasly halfway through his rookie F1 campaign and did enough to keep the ride. But he too failed to reach Verstappen’s level and faced an uncertain future from early last season. Two podiums wasn’t enough to save him for 2021.