It's not looking good for Sergio Perez, with Red Bull also considering Liam Lawson to replace him. Last July 11th the young New Zealand driver took part in a filming day of around 200 km aboard the RB20 on the Silverstone circuit. Red Bull, given the disappointing results obtained by Perez, is reflecting on what to do. Who knows if the opportunity offered to Lawson could be a clue for the future.
Red Bull reflects on Sergio Perez while keeping Lawson ready
Sergio Perez's seat is hot. Or rather, the co-pilot's seat is getting hotter and hotter Red Bull, which for some years has no longer been able to find a stable and, above all, competitive occupant. In fact, since Daniel Ricciardo left the Austrian team at the end of 2018, none of the drivers who succeeded him have ever convinced the team. In 2019 Pierre Gasly was relegated to Toro Rosso during the summer break in favor of Alexander Albon. The latter managed to resist in Red Bull throughout 2020. After that, Sergio Perez arrived, who despite a convincing 2021 and some good performances scattered over the following two seasons, is currently failing to meet his team's expectations. For this reason, Red Bull is reflecting on a possible replacement for the Mexican driver to be included already in the current championship, which could be one of Tsunoda, Ricciardo and the young Lawson.
Helmut Marko: “our second driver is not performing as he should”
There should be one too clause in Sergio Perez's contract, which forces him to be no more than one hundred points behind Max Verstappen, both at the end of the summer break and at the end of the season. At the moment, however, the points that separate the two Red Bull standard-bearers are 108. This is why the team is looking around. However, Helmut Marko admitted to GrandPrix247: “I'm not looking for a new Max, because he is unique. Being his teammate will be difficult for anyone."
Precisely for this reason, despite the filming day, Lawson's name appears to be at a disadvantage compared to the current Racing Bulls drivers. Ricciardo, the most mature, is already familiar with the Red Bull environment and above all has already fought for the top of the standings. However, Yuki Tsunoda is doing better than him in the championship, having reached the points zone several times in the first part of this season, demonstrating consistency and cleanliness in his driving and performance. As for the Japanese driver, Helmut Marko also focused on the difficulties encountered over the years regarding his temperament in the car: "we took him to a mental coach because first he was shouting stupidly and then he was starting to be slower ”.
Lawson's interesting profile still doesn't completely convince Marko
Liam Lawson, for his part, can already boast some excellent appearances in Formula 1. In fact, last year Lawson was called upon to replace Daniel Riccardo from the Dutch GP until the tough weekend in Qatar. With the Alpha Tauri the New Zealand driver managed to score two points by finishing ninth at the finish line of the Singapore GP. Instead, his more experienced teammate Tsunoda almost always came up behind him. Despite his excellent past, Helmut Marko still seems to show some doubts about the profile of the young driver: "maybe Lawson will be ready in two or three years for Red Bull. At that point I don't know if Max will compete again." Helmut Marko therefore chooses to remain cautious, perhaps also mindful of what happened in the past with Gasly and Albon. Two drivers who were probably included too early in the Red Bull ranks, choices resulting in compromising their careers who, thanks to merit and luck, continue in Formula 1 with Alpine and Williams respectively.
In conclusion, these are the notes scattered on Marko and Red Bull's desk. Behind this, a vision of driver management that is still unclear. In fact, despite their critical issues, it seems that each of the three profiles named is under analysis. “During the summer break we will make our assessments” reported the former Austrian driver. Perez, consequently, will have to give his best, meanwhile watching out for Riccardo, Lawson and Tsunoda, with the Japanese rider who could be the favorite given his latest performances this season.
SOURCE: Formulapassion.it, Grandprix247.com
