Formula 1 has always been a very cut-throat sport for drivers. If, at any stage, you fail to perform in the sport, the team will not hesitate to kick you out. Red Bull did exactly that with Daniel Ricciardo. With Liam Lawson joining the team, Helmut Marko has clearly stated what he expects from him and revealed a certain competition between Lawson and Tsunoda that could lead to a promotion.
Last year, we saw Liam Lawson step into the AlphaTauri to replace an injured Daniel Ricciardo for 5 races. In just these 5 races, Lawson proved his capability and his worth for a permanent F1 seat.
Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda in contention for 2025
Liam Lawson’s performances in 2023 captivated the paddock, however, he was unable to get a seat for 2024. This may change for 2025 as Helmut Marko confirms the ongoing competition between Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson.
BREAKING: Liam Lawson to replace Daniel Ricciardo at RB for the remainder of the 2024 season
Lawson will race for the team from the US Grand Prix onwards #F1 pic.twitter.com/XnawGuIkeu
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 26, 2024
“I don’t know in how many races he [Lawson] was faster than Yuki, but that’s why we decided that now is the time to make a comparison with Yuki. Who of the two is the fastest?” Marko told ORF.
“After that, it is up to the Red Bull hierarchy to decide who fits where in F1 2025,” Marko added.
Helmut Marko clearly implied that the rest of the 2024 season is an observation period for both the drivers. There is a lot at stake here for the Junior Red Bull team drivers as an impressive performance means a permanent seat next to Max Verstappen in Red Bull.
Sergio Perez to leave Red Bull in 2025?
It is no secret that Sergio Perez has been underdelivering for Red Bull in this past year. While Verstappen is leading the Drivers’ Championship, Sergio Perez is all the way down in 8th place. Due to Checo’s performances, Red Bull has also lost the lead in the Constructors’ Championship to McLaren. There is no doubt that Checo is now a liability for Red Bull.
Earlier this year, Red Bull extended Perez’s contract for another 2 years which is meant to last until the 2026 season. But if he is not able to perform to keep Red Bull on top, there is no reason for the team to retain him.
🚨 | Helmut Marko on Sergio Perez:
“That’s not what we expected from him.”
“He completely collapsed, especially in the last stint.”#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/QEqH1ttDRt
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) July 28, 2024
In every F1 contract, there are performance causes that demand a minimum performance from the driver. Perez has not been meeting his performance clauses. So Red Bull can kick Checo out of the team with minimal consequences.
But Red Bull still needed an answer as to who will replace Sergio Perez. The only way to determine that was to have Lawson drive in the same machine as Tsunoda to see who is faster and who will replace Perez.
Yuki Tsunoda was not impressed by rumours of RB reserve driver Liam Lawson being promoted to Red Bull before him 👀#F1 pic.twitter.com/jFf413sUgH
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 18, 2024
If either one of the drivers advances to Red Bull Racing, there will still be one empty seat left at VCARB. So who will fill that seat?
Who will get the empty VCARB seat in 2025?
If Perez is not driving in Red Bull next year, it is likely that he will retire from the sport after this season. He will also not want to drive for VCARB and spend the rest of his career fighting at the back of the field. So now Red Bull has the opportunity to promote another junior driver.
So if either Lawson or Tsunoda is promoted to Red Bull Racing, Ayumu Iwasa or Isack Hadjar will be chosen to step into the VCARB.
Iwasa drove in Formula 2 until last year and was a Championship contender. This year, he is driving in the Super Formula series in Japan, the same as Liam Lawson did last year. If Lawson is promoted and Iwasa is chosen for VCARB, Tsunoda and Iwasa will be the first-ever all-Japanese teammate pairing in Formula 1.
Isack Hadjar is currently driving in Formula 2 and is a Championship contender. He is currently sitting in 2nd behind Gabriel Bortoleto who is in contention for the Sauber seat. He is also a very strong candidate for VCARB if there is an opening.
What do you think will be the lineups for Red Bull and VCARB next year? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
