Former F1 TV presenter Will Buxton believes Red Bull has been kicking itself for years over missing the chance to sign Oscar Piastri—and now the team might be looking to make things right.

According to Motorsport.com, the Milton Keynes squad is reportedly eyeing Piastri as a potential replacement for four-time world champion Max Verstappen, should the Dutchman decide to move on. It's a move that signals just how seriously Red Bull is taking Verstappen's recent threats about his future.

"Now this is interesting for a number of reasons," Buxton said on the Up To Speed podcast. "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's co-host, former W Series driver Naomi Schiff, backed Piastri as a "good fit" for the energy drink-backed team. She pointed to the Australian driver's ice-cool composure and consistent performances as exactly the kind of traits Red Bull values.

"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."

Schiff also touched on the dynamics at McLaren, where Piastri currently races alongside Lando Norris. "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 teammate, and that's quite a tough environment when you go head-to-head constantly with the same person."

She added: "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."

Buxton doubled down on the idea that this isn't a new interest. "Red Bull has had its eyes on Oscar Piastri for years," he said. "They've gone on the record as stating that the missed opportunity to sign him as a junior driver is something they've long regretted."

For Piastri, a move to Red Bull would mean stepping into the most dominant car on the grid—but also into the enormous shadow of Verstappen. For now, it's a story of what might have been, and what still could be.