One of the most closely tracked stories ahead of the 2025 season is likely to be who Red Bull might choose to replace Sergio Perez with—if they decide to do so. There has been much speculation surrounding his future, and one of the favorites to claim the second seat alongside Max Verstappen is Liam Lawson.
Ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend, the New Zealander has shared his thoughts on his performances so far this year. He revealed he is content with the way he has performed so far but knows he can do better—like every driver hoping to be the best in F1 should believe.
“Obviously there’s always things you can do better,” Lawson said during the Abu Dhabi GP presser.
“You look back at six races of any driver and nobody ever comes away and says ‘I did the perfect six races. I’m happy with how it’s gone but obviously, there’s things that I’ll learn from out of those races that I’ll take into the future,” he added.
Lawson concluded by saying, “Hopefully, I’ll get this opportunity again in the future, but overall I’d say I’m happy,” implying that he sees himself as the ideal candidate to replace Perez at Red Bull if the team decides to part ways with the Mexican driver. However, while Lawson is undoubtedly a strong contender, he is not the only one vying for the Red Bull spot.
Red Bull likely to decide between Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda
Despite earlier reports suggesting that Red Bull might be overlooking Tsunoda, the Japanese driver’s strong performances, combined with his four years of experience, appear to have become impossible to ignore. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner also praised Tsunoda in a recent interview, while acknowledging the challenges any driver partnering with Verstappen would face.
️| Yuki Tsunoda before the #AbuDhabiGP:
“Yeah I dont know, lets see. Im just focusing on my performance. Testing is just testing I guess, But also I Hope I get perform and reach that level that they want.” #YukiToRedBull #YT22 #F1pic.twitter.com/XPeBFSz8d7
— Hawk (@Hawk9248) December 5, 2024
“Speed-wise, we can see he’s fast,” Horner said about Tsunoda. “He’s experienced now, he’s making less mistakes. Everything is taken into account in any driver decision“.
With Lawson having never competed in a full F1 season, Red Bull could find it premature to promote him to the senior team, especially given how many of their past talents, such as Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, have struggled to make an impact.
Another driver Red Bull were reportedly considering until recently was Franco Colapinto. However, with the Argentine having suffered multiple crashes recently, Red Bull’s interest in him appears to have waned.
Regardless of who Red Bull decides to sign alongside Verstappen, it is clear that it would be a pivotal decision for a team that missed out on the Constructors’ title this season due to one of their drivers (Perez) underperforming significantly.
