Ever since Liam Lawson showed what he is capable of last year in the AlphaTauri, fans have eagerly been waiting for him to receive a full-time seat in the sport. Unfortunately, he was not able to enter the grid this year. But it looks as though he will be back in 2025 as a full-time driver for one of the Red Bull teams.
During the practice session for the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo suffered a wrist injury, because of which he was unable to drive. The team decided to bring in their reserve driver, Liam Lawson to drive for the team until Ricciardo had recovered.
Lawson drove for a total of 5 races last year, during which he gave some impressive performances and even gave the team its best finishing position at the time. He showed the world that he deserved to be in Formula 1. Now, he is getting what he deserves – a full-time seat in Formula 1.
Liam Lawson on the verge of signing with VCARB for 2025
As the 2024 season comes to a close, reports have suggested that Red Bull wants Liam Lawson over Daniel Ricciardo in that VCARB seat. Just a few weeks back, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, both stated that Lawson will be on the grid next year, even if it is not in one of the Red Bull teams.
This suggested that Lawson could be headed to Kick Sauber next year to replace Bottas. But now that Sauber is looking at F2 Championship contender, Gabriel Bortoleto, Red Bull will need to accommodate Lawson in one of their own teams.
🚨 | Helmut Marko in response to a journalist asking about the second VCARB seat:
“We have an idea. Wait until Singapore. By then we will have a clear picture.”
Journalist: So next week there will be an announcement?
Helmut Marko: “There will be clearance of what will… pic.twitter.com/nA8dJE5dTe
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) September 14, 2024
Although Daniel comes with a lot of experience, it is important for Red Bull to invest in the future. Liam Lawson is the future of the franchise, and they need to prioritize him.
During the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last weekend, Helmut Marko gave us a hint of when we can expect the announcement. He said we would have to wait till after the Singapore Grand Prix for an update on VCARB’s second driver. Reports have suggested that it could be announced anytime between the Singapore GP and the United States GP.
Formula 1 entering a new era
Formula 1 is certainly entering a new era. Not in terms of cars, but in terms of drivers. If Liam Lawson signs with VCARB for next year, we will see 4 rookies on the grid – Liam Lawson, Oliver Bearman, Kimi Antonelli and Jack Doohan. This number could even increase to 5 if Kick Sauber signs Gabriel Bortoleto.
These rookies are proving that they can perform in F1 as well. During the last race, we saw Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman with some impressive performances. Colapinto stepped into the team to replace an underperforming Logan Sargeant, and Oliver Bearman stepped in to replace Kevin Magnussen at Haas as he had received a race ban for accumulating penalty points.
⚠️ | Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto are reportedly the primary candidates to join Sauber for 2025.
Who would you rather see in the seat at Sauber? 👇#F1 #SingaporeGP pic.twitter.com/oDPQ81zmBA
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) September 16, 2024
There is no doubt that the 2025 season of Formula 1 is going to be extremely exciting. The rookies will be eager to prove that they deserve to be in the sport. Although some of them already have, they will want to prove the same again. Let’s see how well the rookie performs next year.
Do you think VCARB is making the right decision by signing Liam Lawson? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
