The intention of getting Liam Lawson to replace Daniel Ricciardo in the middle of the season was quite clear. Red Bull wanted to test the young Kiwi driver at RB to see if he is ready to take over an under-firing Sergio Perez’s seat. While proving himself worthy enough for the move would be a dream come true for Lawson, Alex Albon feels it would be wise to wait for a few years to make the big move.
Albon, who has himself come through the Red Bull sphere, is well aware of the pressure the job commands. After spending just half a year at RB (erstwhile Toro Rosso), Albon earned a promotion to the senior team. The joy, however, turned out to be short-lived as he faced the axe after just a year and a half. The reason was his inability to perform well enough against Max Verstappen.
That is exactly the reason why the Thai-British driver believes that Lawson is in a win-win situation. If he fails to land the Red Bull seat in 2025, he will have a year to gain more experience in the premier class with RB. On the other hand, landing a seat in the senior team would be too tempting to refuse.
“I think Liam is in a win-win situation. In the worst case, he is in an RB in 2025,” he said. “I wonder, should you want to go to the main team so quickly to race against Max? Speaking from my own experience, it is not wrong to take a few years to learn your trade,” Albon continued.
Liam Lawson in his first race as a full time F1 driver:
• Replaces F1’s most loved driver
• Has a full blown argument with Fernando Alonso over a SPRINT race
• Starts the Grand Prix with a 60 place grid penaltyFINISHES P9 pic.twitter.com/zMR0PRGdkU
— Formula God (@formula1god) October 20, 2024
Lawson will face stiff competition from Yuki Tsunoda for the seat. The Japanese driver has performed exceptionally well in 2024, building a gap to Daniel Ricciardo, which proved to be wide enough to cause the Aussie’s exit.
There is a big caveat to them making the move, though. That is Red Bull’s decision over Perez, who has a chance of keeping his seat next year. The Mexican is currently under a contract with the team, which will last until the end of 2025.
So, a move for Lawson or Tsunoda would only be possible if the management decided to get rid of the incumbent teammate of Verstappen.
