After testing his patience, Red Bull is finally ready to reward Liam Lawson with a permanent seat. However, it remains unclear whether that seat would be at Red Bull or VCARB. Helmut Marko made the revelation in his latest interview with Kleine Zeitung. The development must now end speculations about the New Zealander’s future, who had links with Audi recently.
Marko said, “Next year he [Lawson] will take a seat in one of our cars.” He added, “A decision will be made in September.”
The deadline for the decision could also be a hint to Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez to pick their form. Both drivers have failed to impress in 2024 and have seen questions being raised over their presence in the Red Bull fold on a number of occasions throughout the season.
Helmut Marko regarding Liam Lawson:
“Next year he’ll be sitting in one of our cars.”
[https://t.co/WVHq0iSJd3] pic.twitter.com/RwKsDMce2x
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) August 22, 2024
Lawson made a great case for himself while acting as a replacement for Ricciardo, who broke his hand in a crash at the 2023 Dutch GP. In Lawson’s five races with VCARB (then AlphaTauri), not only did he manage to finish ahead of Yuki Tsunoda in Zandvoort but he also out-qualified the Japanese driver in Singapore.
The short stint was enough to put Lawson on the radar of a number of rival teams in F1. Naturally, the 22-year-old was expecting to bag a permanent seat the following year. However, Red Bull decided to retain Perez as well as Ricciardo.
Despite the disappointment, Lawson decided to retain his spot with the team as a reserve driver. Perez and Ricciardo failed to make the most of the opportunity, though. Resultantly, they are once again under the scanner as one of them would have to make way for Lawson in 2025.
Ricciardo supports Lawson’s case for a permanent seat
Perez started the 2024 season on a strong note. He frequently finished in podium positions while maintaining a safe distance from Max Verstappen for the race wins.
This made a strong case for his contract extension, which he duly got. The two-year extension, however, proved counter-productive as Perez’s performance took a dip almost immediately after the announcement.
Ricciardo, on the other hand, has remained unimpressive throughout the season so far, with only a handful of flash-in-the-pan results to boast of. Despite his personal failures, he has made his appreciation for Lawson known.
Speaking ahead of the 2024 Dutch GP, the Aussie said, “From a place of competitive respect, I think he does deserve one [seat], so if he is in the sport next year, I think that’s a good thing.”
Things could work out well for both drivers if Ricciardo makes a strong case for himself in the second half of the season. In that case, Ricciardo might replace Perez at Red Bull. In turn, Lawson can take over the Australian’s VCARB seat and race alongside Tsunoda.
