Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko has reflected on the performances of Isack Hadjar and Arvid Lindblad as speculation ramps up over who might stand in for Max Verstappen if he gets an F1 ban.
The Dutchman is on the cusp of a one-race suspension. If he gets another penalty point on his FIA super licence over the next two grands prix, he will spend a weekend on the sidelines.
If that situation comes to fruition, Red Bull is expected to elevate either Hadjar or Liam Lawson to the seat alongside Yuki Tsunoda, with either Ayumu Iwasa or Lindblad, in turn, deputising for that driver at Racing Bulls.
Hadjar has woven together a strong maiden campaign in F1, having scored 21 points in five top 10 finishes across the opening nine rounds, including the last three.
The Frenchman, who is ninth in the F1 drivers' standings has thus far not been eliminated from Q1 in qualifying and is widely regarded as the stand-out rookie from a crowded class including Kimi Antonelli, Ollie Bearman and F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto.
It is the lattermost driver Marko zeroed in on as a point of comparison, contending Hadjar and his performances were overlooked last season.
"Isack Hadjar, who was still very underrated in Formula 2 – at least in the media, which was all talking about Gabriel Bortoleto – delivered a very good performance," the Austrian wrote in his column for Speedweek.
"But Isack won more races back then and lost 80 points due to technical issues. It was already clear to me that he was a very fast driver."
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The FIA super licence dependant option
The other highly-touted prospect on Red Bull's books is Lindblad, who himself is piecing together a strong first season in F2.
At just 17 years of age, the Milton Keynes-based squad has applied for an FIA super licence exemption for the British driver, which, if granted, could see him race in F1 before turning 18 in August.
Marko highlighted the Campos Racing driver's recent form, which included F2 feature race victory at the Spanish Grand Prix.
"Arvid Lindblad also had a strong performance in Formula 2," the 82-year-old stated of the weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. "He won the main race in the top junior class, thus celebrating his second victory of his rookie season.
"If he continues like this, we can expect him to move up to Formula 1. He may only be 17 years old, but he's also a tremendous talent."
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