Liam Lawson wants to make his F1 debut with Red Bull. However, if the reigning Champions cannot offer him a seat, the Kiwi has alternatives. Lawson is a valuable driver in the market, forcing Helmut Marko and Christian Horner to make a big decision this year.
Lawson did not seem a big part of Red Bull’s plans at this stage last year. The Austrian team elected to sign De Vries for the 2023 season, looking beyond their driver academy in favour of someone with an established career beyond F1.
However, this decision was quickly reversed. Unfortunately for Lawson, when De Vries was replaced mid-season, it was to make way for Daniel Ricciardo.
Without the 34-year-old’s injury in Zandvoort, Lawson might never have made his debut. Luckily for the Kiwi driver, he capitalised on Ricciardo’s misfortune and made a name for himself under difficult circumstances. A combination of Q3 appearances and top-10 results became proof of Lawson’s ability. This is largely why the public backlash was so fierce when he was left out of RB’s 2024 driver lineup.
After all, it is rare for a rookie to adapt and deliver results at the speed Lawson did. However, what somewhat reconciled this choice was Red Bull’s heavy implication that there is a 2025 seat with his name on it.
In this sense, the 22-year-old is still firmly in the mix for an F1 seat. Still, in such a wide-open driver market, being ready for every opportunity is essential.
Liam Lawson open to all scenarios
With this in mind, Lawson is ready to consider alternatives if Red Bull fails to give him a seat:
“For me, the dream is to drive with Red Bull, and I’ve been with them now for more than five years,” motorsportweek quotes him as saying.
“They’re the most competitive team in Formula 1 fight now. So if I would choose, I would drive for them.
“But my dream is to be in Formula 1 – and if it can’t be with them, then obviously, I need to try and make that happen with somebody else.”
Something that must be considered when analysing the driver market is – like most things in Formula 1 – speed. Although many seats are currently available, this could change in a few months.
It only takes one domino to fall for many others to follow suit. Eighteen months ago, Sebastian Vettel’s retirement triggered an unexpected chain of events.
In the 2024 F1 season, there are many drivers who could trigger the first chain reaction. For Liam Lawson and many others, having clarity about their future is something to secure sooner rather than later.
With this in mind, Red Bull must manage their driver line-up carefully. As ever, Sergio Perez, Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will be carefully scrutinised in the coming months.
Based on their progress, Red Bull must decide who must make way for Liam Lawson. If not, there will be no shortage of opportunities elsewhere for such a talented youngster.
