The Red Bull drivers' soap opera continues, with Helmut Marko making important statements about Liam Lawson in recent days. The current third driver of Racing Bulls was one step away from winning a starting place in the Faenza team. The unexpected stay of Sergio Perez alongside Verstappen, however, has currently blocked any possible glimmer of hope.
Marko still thinks about Lawson, but for which seat?
For a few years, Red Bull seems to have lost its bearings on the management of the drivers it finds at home. Concentrating on just one side of the garage, that of Verstappen, is bringing the hoped-for titles and successes, but the second seat is hot even before sitting down for the drivers of the Austrian team. The person most responsible for this hostile climate is perhaps Helmut Marko himself, who has long been responsible for taking care of and developing the young drivers of the Red Bull program. We must give Marko credit for having believed in Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, but his behavior as an iron sergeant contributed to ruining the F1 career of several promising youngsters. This is what happened last year with Nick De Vries, Formula 2 and Formula E world champion, who certainly deserved more time in the top series.
Red Bull and its flagship Racing Bulls team have always relied on the influx of young drivers from the minor categories. To date, however, the situation seems to have been blocked by the presence of Sergio Perez and the presence of Daniel Ricciardo in Racing Bulls. Both, during 2024, did not meet expectations and their permanence in Formula 1 is increasingly being called into question. In such a scenario, Yuki Tsunoda should be the favorite for promotion to Red Bull, thus leaving a seat free for Liam Lawson. If the latter were not taken into consideration, it could break free from the contract that binds him to the Austrian team. A possible scenario given the successes achieved in the current Formula 2 season by Isack Hadjar.
Clarification on Lawson's future will arrive in September according to Marko
Liam Lawson has been busy in recent years. Along with the third place obtained in Formula 2 two years ago, the New Zealand driver was also able to obtain a second place in the DTM championship in 2021 and again a silver medal in Super Formula last year, racing for the well-known Team Mugen. In short, a driver who has demonstrated the ability to be competitive in different categories. To these experiences must be added the races he faced last year in Formula 1, to replace the injured Daniel Ricciardo, and the various test and free practice sessions in which Lawson participated. In short, the solidity demonstrated behind the wheel should earn him a place in F1, an opportunity that has now dematerialized with the confirmation of Sergio Perez in Red Bull.
Hemult Marko's paths, however, are endless, and for this reason it seems that some possibilities for Lawson still exist. “It's a difficult time for someone like Lawson, also because a year ago he got into the car in a really complicated situation and managed to obtain excellent results ", he has declared Marko in recent days, underlining how Red Bull have certainly not forgotten the good performance provided by Lawson last year. “We have great respect for him and he will have his chance. You just have to wait, you will have an answer in September “. Thus the Austrian manager seems to have rekindled some hope of seeing Liam Lawson back in Formula 1, who could thus wear the Racing Bulls colors for the 2025 season.
