Liam Lawson is set to replace Daniel Ricciardo in the upcoming GP in Austin. This young New Zealander will have six Grand Prix races to prove himself for the next year. If Lawson indeed delivers impressive results for Visa RB, he might have the opportunity to advance to Red Bull in 2025. Christian Horner does not rule out the possibility of a struggling Sergio Pérez having to give up his seat.
“We need answers for the bigger picture,” Christian Horner explained in the F1 Nation podcast. He was referring to the dynamics between the drivers at Red Bull and Visa RB – if Liam Lawson proves himself as a top driver, he should be able to move up to Max Verstappen’s team. “With six more races on the calendar, it’s the perfect opportunity to put Lawson next to Yuki (Tsunoda) and see how he performs,” said Horner.
Red Bull’s Future Considerations
“This goes beyond Visa RB, it encompasses all of Red Bull,” he added. “Of course, we have a contract with Sergio Pérez for next year, but you always have to keep an eye on who is ready next. Should Lawson then come to Red Bull? Or should we look outside our own circle? Or will one of the other juniors, like Isack Hadjar (Formula 2 driver) or Arvid Lindblad (Formula 3 driver), be ready to take over by then?”
Last Chance for Ricciardo
According to Horner, the ideal scenario is that Sergio Pérez ‘simply’ retains his seat in 2025. However, he knows that there are plenty of other drivers eager to step into Red Bull. The team boss even hinted that the door for Daniel Ricciardo is still ajar. “If Checo performs again as he did at the beginning of the year, nothing changes,” he explained. “But at the same time, we have also made it clear that we would like to keep Ricciardo within the Red Bull family. If both Liam (Lawson) and Checo were to fail, we know at least that we still have him in the house.”
“On the other hand, I think that at his age he has already had a great career,” Horner said about Ricciardo. “We have made so many beautiful memories. The most disgusting was drinking champagne from his sweaty shoe. But hey, that has really become his thing. Many famous people have drunk from his dirty shoes!”
