Former F1 TV presenter Will Buxton believes that Red Bull has regretted missing out on signing Oscar Piastri for years.
Motorsport.com understands that the Milton Keynes outfit is targeting Piastri as a potential replacement for four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen, should the Dutchman decide to leave the team.
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"Now this is interesting for a number of reasons, but the first being that Red Bull, I think, is taking Max's threat very seriously if they are seriously lining up people that they would like to replace him with," Buxton said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Buxton's co-host and former W Series driver Naomi Schiff backed Piastri as a "good fit" for Red Bull, which she argued is demonstrated by his consistent performances and ability not to allow his emotions to get the better of him.
"But what this does highlight is how highly Red Bull regards Oscar Piastri," Schiff said. "And hats off to him because yes, he didn't win the championship last year, but he was a very, very strong contender. And he's such a consistent, sort of ice-cold, never really lets his emotions get the best of him.
"And I think that for that reason, he's quite a good fit for Red Bull. Not that that doesn't make him a good fit for McLaren, but I actually could see him in a Red Bull seat. I think that there is an element of him maybe not wanting to share as much glory with his team-mate, and that's quite a tough environment when you go head-to-head constantly with the same person.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
"And if there's a slight preference for Lando, which some people feel there is, then maybe that's why he's got his ears sort of perked up. But it's very normal in F1 for teams and drivers to be courting each other for quite a long time."
According to the former F1 TV presenter, Red Bull regretted not signing Piastri as a junior driver.
"Red Bull has had its eyes on Oscar Piastri for years," Buxton added later in the episode. "They've gone on the record as stating that they wished they'd signed him when he was a junior driver, that they shouldn't have let him go into the Alpine Academy.
"They shouldn't have then let McLaren get their hands on him and tear him away from Alpine. They know they missed the bus when it came to Oscar Piastri. So, the fact that he is on their radar, I don't think it should come as any surprise to anybody. He's one of the most impressive drivers in Formula 1, and he's probably the guy that you would want to lead your team."
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