Speculation about Liam Lawson has somewhat quietened down in recent months. With Sergio Perez’s future on a knife-edge, much of the conversation surrounding Red Bull has excluded the Kiwi. However, Lawson is still an immensely talented driver who Red Bull don’t want to lose to a rival. Because of this, Helmut Marko says he will be on the grid next season.
Helmut Marko makes Lawson guarantee
The situation at Red Bull is, as ever, extremely volatile. Heading into this year, Liam Lawson was almost unanimously expected to earn a full-time contract. The question was if, not when, the 22-year-old would be given his chance.
However, the driver situation at Red Bull has changed on numerous occasions.
Documenting the various conflicting statements about Perez, Ricciardo, and Tsunoda in 2024 would take far too long. That said, it is clear that Lawson’s position on the team has been in limbo.
Lawson even admitted to being uncertain about his position at Red Bull a few months ago.
Thankfully for Kiwi, his F1 prospects have improved significantly.
When asked about the 22-year-old’s future, Helmut Marko told Kleine Zeitung, “Next year, he’ll be sitting in one of our cars.”
The general consensus is that Perez and Ricciardo are in a zero-sum game. By the end of 2024, Red Bull will make a decision to keep one and replace the other.
Although Helmut Marko’s influence at Red Bull has declined, he still participates in the decision-making process.
Therefore, his insistence in previous months that VCARB will have young drivers moving forward seems a likely path forward.
Tsunoda, Ricciardo and Perez in direct competition
On paper, Sergio Perez has a multi-year contract that keeps him at Red Bull until the end of 2025. However, it is no secret that his position is under threat.
Although the team opted against a mid-season swap, this does not rule out another change before the end of the year.
It is generally accepted that Red Bull, and Christian Horner in particular, would prefer to promote Ricciardo than Tsunoda.
Still, more dramatic U-turns have happened at Milton Keynes. In typical fashion, the reigning champions will keep the F1 world guessing.
What seems set in stone, however, is that Liam Lawson will not spend 2025 on the sidelines.
