Liam Lawson was the talk of the town towards the end of the 2023 season after he stepped in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo. Although the New Zealander was lucky to get his opportunity earlier this year, he ensured he grabbed it with both hands. Following the 21-year-old‘s impressive few races, there were rumors that AlphaTauri may even consider signing him for 2024. However, that was not to be as the Italian outfit decided to stick with the more experienced Ricciardo. Since then, Lawson has clarified that he is keen to get a full-time F1 seat as soon as possible. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has now explained what he expects of the Kiwi driver.
When asked about his thoughts on whether Lawson will get a race seat by 2025, Marko told OE24, “Yes. And before that he should at least drive a few more races so that we can see where his potential really lies“.
The Austrian’s remarks seem to suggest that Lawson is definitely in Red Bull’s plans moving forward. The 80-year-old also seems to suggest that Lawson is likely to get more opportunities in 2024 so that Red Bull can evaluate his progress before they offer him a seat.
While it seems that it is only a matter of time before Lawson joins the F1 grid, it remains to be seen whether he will do so with Red Bull or with AlphaTauri.
This is because Marko did not provide any details about the same. If Lawson were indeed to join Red Bull directly, he is likely to replace the underperforming Sergio Perez.
Does Marko’s recent comments suggest Perez will lose his Red Bull seat?
Sergio Perez did not do himself any favors after he suffered massively throughout the 2023 season. The Mexican driver was way off the pace as compared to Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen. He only registered two victories in the entire campaign as compared to the Dutchman’s 19.
Moreover, with just 285 points to his name, he failed to even score half of Verstappen’s 575. Perhaps the only saving grace for Perez was that he finished second in the championship and gave Red Bull their first 1-2 in history.
Although Helmut Marko confirmed in his interview with oe24.at that Red Bull will continue with Perez in 2024, he has often been the one who has criticized the 33-year-old the most. Therefore, the onus is now entirely on the driver from Guadalajara to prove his mettle.
Marko has already suggested that Liam Lawson is likely to get a seat by 2025, and hence, Perez is likely to face immense scrutiny throughout the 2024 campaign. In case Perez’s underperformance continues, Red Bull could replace him with current AlphaTauri driver Daniel Ricciardo or even Lawson directly.
