Even before the lights went out for the US GP, Red Bull saw Liam Lawson as a leading contender to partner Max Verstappen in 2025. The team’s internal confidence in Lawson has only grown, with the Kiwi delivering an immediately strong performance in his F1 comeback.
Christian Horner and Helmut Marko both enthusiastic about Lawson progress
Typically speaking, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko have plenty of disagreements about driver selection. For example, the decision to retain Daniel Ricciardo until the Singapore GP was primarily due to Horner’s influence.
It is well-established that Marko wanted to replace the Australian several months prior.
However, both senior Red Bull personnel are on the same page about Liam Lawson. When the Kiwi’s F1 comeback was confirmed last month, Horner was very open about his expectations.
The Red Bull team principal described the 22-year-old as a top candidate to replace Sergio Perez for 2025. In the build-up to last weekend’s race, he emphasised that securing the strongest possible driver line-up is a top priority.
This essentially confirmed that Lawson and Tsunoda would be in a shoot-out for the remainder of the season. Still, it is no secret that Lawson’s position within the Red Bull pecking order (whether fairly or not) was higher than his Japanese teammate.
Helmut Marko, though generally more enthusiastic about Tsunoda than Horner, is also optimistic about Lawson’s potential.
Lawson debut reaffirms Red Bull confidence
Lawson securing points at in COTA only cemented the Austrian team’s belief that he should be considered for a promotion.
Helmut Marko gave a positive review of the 22-year-old’s comeback performance in COTA:
“A really great debut,” he told Sky Germany.
“That was already apparent in Q1, where he drove the third fastest time.
“He was in control at all times and had great overtaking manoeuvres. You have to put the youngsters in the car and then it works. He is definitely a man for the future.”
Simultaneously, the 81-year-old’s comments about Sergio Perez have been increasingly negative since Lawson’s VCARB return was announced.
Whilst far more diplomatic than his Austrian colleague, Christian Horner has also made clear that Max Verstappen could have a new teammate in 2025.
With Perez finishing an uninspiring 7th in COTA, only 10 seconds ahead of Lawson who started from 19th, Lawson could not have wished for a better comeback to blster his Red Bull chances.
Over the next few weeks, as momentum continues to gather for the Kiwi driver, the defending champions will continue to make their assessments.
