Red Bull Racing is facing a tough decision about who will fill their final race seat at V-CARB for the 2025 season. With contract extensions already in place for Sergio Perez and Yuki Tsunoda, the team must now choose between their current driver, Daniel Ricciardo, and their promising young academy driver, Liam Lawson. However, Red Bull is not rushing into a decision just yet.
The decision is complicated because the Austrian team risks losing Lawson if they don’t give him a race seat soon. Lawson, currently a reserve driver for both Red Bull and V-CARB, has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave if he isn’t offered a seat by 2025. Despite this, for now, the Kiwi has no choice but to wait and see what Red Bull decides.
ESPN F1 pundit Laurence Edmondson commented on the situation, saying, “I wonder whether Red Bull are just gonna sit on this and wait and wait and wait and see how Ricciardo performs… Whether he can replicate what he did in Canada and in Miami sprint qualifying, whether he can start to build up some momentum and then make a decision.”
“Because they kind of know that while Lawson will have extra freedom at some point this year to go and look at his other options. Whether those options are actually that realistic is another question.”
Red Bull’s hesitation is partly due to Daniel Ricciardo’s inconsistent performances since his return. Although Ricciardo is an eight-time Grand Prix winner and has shown he can compete with the best, his recent form has been shaky. This inconsistency has made Red Bull reluctant to make a final decision on him.
On the other hand, his teammate Yuki Tsunoda has been consistently impressive this season, earning points even in difficult situations. And it was his run of strong performances that secured him a contract extension with V-CARB.
Could this be the final season of Daniel Ricciardo’s career?
Sergio Perez has had a mixed season so far in 2024. While he started strong, finishing right behind his teammate Max Verstappen in the early races, the Mexican failed to score any points in Monaco and Canada. Despite this, Red Bull has given Perez a two-year extension.
This is a significant setback for Daniel Ricciardo, who was hoping to return to Red Bull having left the team in 2018. His performances in 2024 have not been convincing enough for Red Bull to consider him as a strong candidate to partner with Verstappen again.
️ “I think it’s the best thing for the team.”
Sergio Perez on his Red Bull contract extension ^#F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/jePnvk29sd
— Autosport (@autosport) June 6, 2024
If Red Bull decides to give the remaining seat to Liam Lawson, 2024 might turn out to be Ricciardo’s final season in Formula 1. His chances outside the Red Bull Racing family seem limited, making this decision crucial for his future in the sport.
For now, all eyes are on Red Bull as they navigate this tricky decision, balancing experience against potential, and making sure they don’t lose a future star in Liam Lawson.
