Despite having two drivers on multi-year contracts, Red Bull continue to make waves in the driver market. In his latest declarations, Helmut Marko has said that Liam Lawson will have his opportunity in F1. Not only that, but Marko says Lawson’s next step will be confirmed in September. If true, this will surely have a knock-on effect on Ricciardo, Tsunoda and Perez.
Red Bull’s unpredictable decisions
Helmut Marko is no stranger to making controversial comments. The 81-year-old is happy to speak with complete transparency, often regardless of the consequences.
However, his statements in recent months have not always corresponded to reality.
For example, earlier in the year, he stressed that VCARB is a “junior team” and that its driver line-up would reflect this.
Several months later, the 34-year-old Daniel Ricciardo remains with the Faenza outfit.
In addition, Marko has previously criticised Sergio Perez’s performances for Red Bull. He was especially critical after the Mexican fell down the order in Belgium.
Despite this, Red Bull confirmed Perez would continue with the team for the remainder of 2024.
As a result, Marko’s comments should be taken with a pinch of salt. That said, it would be unfair to say his insights are not valuable.
Liam Lawson could return
Only twelve months ago, it was completely uncontroversial to say Lawson was on track to earn a full-time F1 contract.
Unfortunately for the Kiwi, Red Bull elected against giving him a VCARB seat – despite his excellent substitute appearances last season.
For the majority of the year, Lawson’s future has been in doubt. The 22-year-old has even admitted to being uncertain about his position at Red Bull.
Because of this, there have been tentative suggestions that rivals could try and sign Lawson.
In response, Helmut Marko makes clear this will not happen:
“We will announce what happens next with Liam Lawson in September,” he wrote on Speedweek.
“It has been planned for some time that he would be able to gain more Formula 1 experience in Imola [during the VCARB test].
“Even though the competition would like to use him on loan, he is not available for that.”
The future remains unclear
In theory, it seems plausible to assume that either Perez or Ricciardo will leave Red Bull before 2025 begins.
After all, with both drivers in their mid-30s, they are unlikely to stay with the Milton Keynes squad if they don’t have a main seat.
Then again, Ricciardo has made clear that he is pleased to stay at VCARB for another year. Therefore, as is often the case with Red Bull, making assumptions is difficult.
Still, it is equally tricky to imagine a scenario where Liam Lawson is without a 2025 seat.
As ever, the situation at the Austrian outfit is uncertain. The next few months will undoubtedly add more chapters to this ever-evolving story.
