Red Bull heads into the final six races of the season with the knowledge that they will have to fight hard to bring home both titles, but also with uncertainty about the future. Sergio Perez is not convincing, and the idea that another driver could take his place alongside Verstappen in 2025 is becoming increasingly concrete. Helmut Marko recently reopened this possibility, defining the line-up for 2025 as a “not yet closed” question: among the names of the possible candidates put forward by Marko are Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda. Both, on the track with the Visa Cash App, will have six races to prove they deserve the seat currently occupied by Perez.
Red Bull, Tsunoda still in the running for a seat according to Helmut Marko
The future of the Red Bull line-up for 2025 is still uncertain, and one of the protagonists of this crucial phase is Yuki Tsunoda. The young Japanese driver has the chance to compete for a place alongside Max Verstappen, with Helmut Marko who has made it clear that the last six races of the season will be decisive: “Tsunoda is a candidate to be Max’s teammate in 2025,” Marko declared to F1-Insider. Stressing that the decision will be made after comparing the performances of Tsunoda and Liam Lawson.
The confrontation between Lawson and Tsunoda
The final six races of the championship will serve as a real test for the two drivers, both of whom drive for the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls team. “They have the same material, the same conditions and they will have six races to show us that they are the best driver”, Marko explained. Red Bull has always focused on young talents from its academy, and the confrontation between Lawson and Tsunoda will be decisive in deciding who will partner Verstappen in 2025. Tsunoda’s performance on the track, already superior to Daniel Ricciardo in the first part of 2024, will be compared with that of Lawson, fresh from his return to the grid after replacing Ricciardo in 2023.
A Golden Opportunity for Tsunoda
For Tsunoda, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to prove he is ready for a step up in quality. After four seasons in Formula 1, all with Red Bull's junior team, the Japanese driver has yet to secure an opportunity with the Austrian team. Despite having secured a contract extension with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, his future remains tied to these final six races of the season. If he can prove himself competitive, he could be promoted alongside Verstappen. However, as Marko stressed, everything will depend on the results he can bring home in the final races.
Perez increasingly distant from Red Bull
Sergio Perez, despite a contract that ties him to Red Bull until 2026, now seems destined to leave the team at the end of next season. His inconsistent performances and inability to consistently compete at Verstappen's level have pushed the team's top brass to explore other options. Helmut Marko has already made it clear that “the only guarantee is when your performances are good”, highlighting how Perez has not been able to completely convince the team.

The Red Bull Philosophy and the Return to Young Talent
Red Bull has a long history of promoting young drivers from its junior program, with successful examples including Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo. With the Perez experiment looking set to end, Marko reiterated the team’s intention to return to its original philosophy. “Historically, we have always given our young drivers a chance in Formula 1,” Marko said, noting that other teams are following this path, with Mercedes targeting Kimi Antonelli, Haas targeting Oliver Bearman and Williams targeting Franco Colapinto.
The next six races will therefore be crucial for Yuki Tsunoda, who has the chance to realise his dream of moving to Red Bull. With the pressure of having to prove his worth and competing against a promising youngster like Liam Lawson, Tsunoda faces a difficult, but not impossible, challenge. Will he be able to convince Helmut Marko and the Red Bull team that he deserves the most coveted seat in Formula 1 alongside Max Verstappen?
Source statements: FormulaPassion