Drivers at Red Bull or RB not named Max Verstappen are almost always in danger of losing their seats. Several drivers, including Pierre Gasly and Nyck de Vries, have been removed mid-season in the past. Verstappen’s partner Sergio Perez has been tipped to join them for over a year, and although he has managed to hold on, things may change very soon.
Chief Advisor Helmut Marko dropped a piece of news that would be music to the ears of Yuki Tsunoda and his fans. Many experts have claimed that the RB driver has not been under serious contention for the Red Bull seat, but Marko revealed that is not true.
Veteran F1 photojournalist Kym Illman delivered the news via his social media handles, wherein he stated that both Tsunoda and Liam Lawson are being considered for Perez’s seat. After posting the image of both drivers, he captioned it as,
“Helmut Marko has as good as said that one of these two men will be driving for Red Bull in 2025. Over the next 6 races, Liam and Yuki will be fighting tooth and nail to impress the Red Bull hierarchy, with the better driver likely to replace Sergio Perez if his form doesn’t dramatically improve. It’ll be enthralling for sure“.
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Since Lawson will join Tsunoda at Red Bull after replacing Daniel Ricciardo, both drivers will be in the same machinery, making it easier for the bosses to evaluate their performances.
Last year, Tsunoda stated that the slower driver between him and Ricciardo would not secure a seat at Red Bull. Now, it seems that the Japanese driver has a similar challenge ahead for the remaining six races of the 2024 season, but this time with Lawson.
Since Tsunoda has already been mightily impressive for RB so far this year, Lawson will face a difficult challenge to prove himself against the Japanese driver.
RB sacked Ricciardo after he failed to match Tsunoda
When AlphaTauri (now Red Bull) signed Ricciardo last year, many believed the Honey Badger would be a strong candidate to replace the struggling Perez. However, much to everyone’s surprise, Tsunoda has comprehensively outperformed Ricciardo this season, ultimately leading to Red Bull’s decision to part ways with the 35-year-old.
So far, Tsunoda has scored 22 points — 10 more than the now sacked Aussie driver.
Tsunoda will need to ensure that he carries on this purple patch in the remaining six races of the season to prove to the Red Bull bosses that he deserves the second seat alongside Verstappen.
Although Marko has claimed that either Tsunoda or Lawson will replace Perez at Red Bull, there are no guarantees. If Perez manages to rediscover his form, there is still a possibility that the Milton Keynes-based outfit may choose to retain him.
Such news would be a significant disappointment for both Tsunoda and Lawson, as they have both expressed their desire to drive for the senior team in the future.
