Speculation surrounding Liam Lawson’s future shows no signs of stopping after some impressive performances in the three races he has competed in so far. Amid speculation that the New Zealand rider could leave the Red Bull family, the Milton Keynes team have made another promise. However, this desire does not bode well for Sergio Perez or Daniel Ricciardo.
Previously, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner stated in an interview with Crash F1 that Lawson had “no guarantee” that he would get a spot for the 2025 season. However, advisor Helmut Marko of Red Bull has now made very contradictory comments.
Helmut Marko secured Liam Lawson F1 seat in 2025
In a recent interview with Kleine Zeitung, Helmut Marko was full of praise for Liam Lawson. The 80-year-old man believes that the New Zealand driver definitely has enough potential to win a Grand Prix. The Austrian believes that the 21-year-old has “fulfilled every task so far and in the most difficult conditions”.
Marko then added: “He is a tough rider and one of the strongest riders of all time in a duel. As a reserve driver, he has a big task next year. He will be there by 2025 at the latest. But he is already in a Formula 1 car anyway.” As Red Bull and AlphaTauri already have confirmed squads for the 2024 season, this means one of them could be axed if Lawson joins either of those teams.
The only driver who appears to have a confirmed place in the team is Max Verstappen due to the huge success he has enjoyed recently. Therefore, this news does not bode well for Sergio Perez, Daniel Ricciardo or Yuki Tsunoda. However, according to an F1 expert, the Mexican driver’s position is the one most threatened.
Barreto believes that Red Bull has the ability to fire Perez
As quoted by RBR Daily, Lawrence Barretto has stated that Red Bull will likely swap Sergio Perez for Daniel Ricciardo midway through the 2024 season or in 2025. The F1 expert then added that AlphaTauri will then replace the Australian racing by Liam Lawson. The pressure is on for the Mexican to perform as he has endured a lot this season.
The 33-year-old driver has just won two races, in stark contrast to Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen, who has won 13. In addition, the Dutch driver is 177 points ahead of the former Racing Point driver ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix. If Verstappen finishes sixth or better in the sprint race, he will be crowned champion for the third consecutive time.
So, with the 25-year-old on the verge of winning his third title, the minimum expectation Red Bull has on Perez is a second-place finish in the championship. Currently, the Guadalajara-born racer is 33 points ahead of third-placed Lewis Hamilton.
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