Ever since Daniel Ricciardo left Red Bull in 2018, the team has struggled to find a driver to fill the second seat. Many drivers have pitted their skills against Max Verstappen, but have come up short. Sergio Perez was closest to the four-time world champion, winning five races before his form followed his predecessors.
Questions have been asked about whether the second Red Bull seat is cursed. Drivers have gone on to have good careers in F1 after leaving the team. Others, who looked promising, flattered to deceive. A crazy stat claims that it would take 271 races for the second Red Bull seat to close the deficit on Verstappen.
Red Bull’s second seat has a major deficit to Max Verstappen
Two drivers have attempted to excel in Red Bull’s second seat. Liam Lawson was replaced after two races and failed to score any points. His replacement, Yuki Tsunoda, has seven points on the board since joining Red Bull. Verstappen has recorded 95.9 per cent of Red Bull’s points with a total of 165 so far this season.
With the low tally of points scored by the second Red Bull car, it is averaging around 0.583 points per race, according to Daniel Valente. That means it would take 271 races for the second Red Bull seat to close the deficit on Verstappen.
🚨 WILD STAT 🚨
Red Bull’s 2nd seat is averaging 0.583 pts per race, meaning it would take 271 races to make up the deficit to Max Verstappen.
For perspective, 271 races is longer than Nico Hulkenberg’s non-podium streak (239 GPs) & would be the 9th longest career in F1 ever. pic.twitter.com/gdEwMSzuxC
— Daniel Valente 🏎️ (@F1GuyDan) July 7, 2025
This high amount of races is longer than Nico Hulkenberg’s non-podium streak of 238 races. It would also be the ninth-longest career in F1. The question is, why is everyone struggling in the second Red Bull car?
Red Bull creates cars for Max Verstappen
Ever since Max Verstappen took his maiden win for Red Bull on his debut, the team has put all their eggs in his basket. He rewarded the Milton Keynes-based team with four world titles and two constructor titles. So the Austrian team bases how they design their car towards what the Dutchman likes to drive.
Verstappen likes a car with a sharp front end, which helps his aggressive style of driving. He prefers a car which leans more towards oversteer, allowing him to rotate the car quickly in corners. However, other drivers prefer a more stable, understereing car. His teammates have struggled to adapt to Verstappen’s preferences and fallen by the wayside.
Is the Red Bull Second Seat Cursed or a Result of Poor Decisions?
His early teammates, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, have gone on to have solid careers after they left Red Bull. Liam Lawson looked good, but inexperienced before he was thrust into the second seat. Yuki Tsunoda came off the back of his best season in F1 before being promoted to Red Bull.
Does Red Bull need to change their car philosophy, which has brought it great success? Or will the second seat always play second fiddle to Max Verstappen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
