Red Bull is reportedly going through a power tussle with Christian Horner and Helmut Marko being the central figures. The duo, as per BBC, has once again come face-to-face over the million-dollar Daniel Ricciardo question. Will the Aussie stay at RB or will he face the axe in 2025 to make way for Liam Lawson?
The British publication noted, “At the moment, though, Ricciardo is protected by team principal Christian Horner […] and is safe for now from being replaced by reserve Liam Lawson. Motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, who would probably like to promote Lawson, has lost power and influence in the internal civil war at Red Bull that was laid bare by the allegations […] made against Horner.”
Ricciardo might just be another bone of contention in a battle that has gone on for too long. In the aftermath of Red Bull clearing Horner, Jos Verstappen demanded his exit from the team.
As that hinted at a possible power struggle between the two, reports suggested Marko to be in the Dutchman’s corner. His position in the team later came under threat over the allegations of leaking Horner’s chats with the female employee who lodged the complaint against him.
| Autosport has learned that Helmut Marko is subject to an investigation by Red Bull relating to various media leaks that have taken place since it emerged that Horner was being investigated.
If he is found guilty of having released confidential information to the media then… pic.twitter.com/FOIyHSOFo1
— deni (@fiagirly) March 8, 2024
The debate on Ricciardo between Marko and Horner, however, jeopardizes Lawson’s position in the team. If the Aussie driver indeed stays for another year, the New Zealander might just start looking for opportunities elsewhere. The 22-year-old had earlier let his disappointment known about the team picking Ricciardo over him for 2024.
No dearth of opportunities for Liam Lawson if Daniel Ricciardo stays
Lawson came in as Ricciardo’s replacement in the middle of the 2023 season. The Honey Badger got a nasty injury in an accident during a practice session at Zandvoort. Lawson raced in his place for five Grands Prix, an impressive run that got him on other teams’ radar. Ricciardo, on his comeback, did not make much impact but the upgrades helped him salvage some points.
Taking that into consideration, Red Bull decided to keep the Aussie in the seat for another year. That was a bitter pill for the reserve driver to swallow and he made his thoughts known in Netflix’s Drive to Survive. However, Lawson decided to stay with the team as a reserve driver in hopes of landing a seat in 2025.
If that opportunity does not arrive, he might start approaching rival teams. Luckily, the driver market is heating up and teams are looking out hunting for talent. Given his five-race experience and an impressive run at it, Lawson could turn out to be the candidate the constructors are looking for.
