Helmut Marko has made an apparent confirmation Liam Lawson will replace Daniel Ricciardo as a full-time RB F1 driver for 2025.
According to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, Liam Lawson plays a major role within the organization as the shareholders wish to have a ‘young driver,’ which has sparked further debate in the Formula 1 paddock.
Either Ricciardo or Lawson will lose out on a drive following RB’s announcement earlier this month that Yuki Tsunoda will remain with the team for next season. The background to the calculated move is the Aussie’s delicate situation, as his goal to secure a promotion back to Red Bull Racing was derailed.
This comes after Max Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez sealed his place on the team with a 1+1 contract extension, blocking Ricciardo’s way to the top.
The Australian has struggled to deliver consistent results and is currently 10 points behind his less experienced teammate despite holding the role of the lead driver at the team.
Meanwhile, Lawson has hinted that he would be prepared to walk away from the Red Bull family if he is not given a 2025 race seat and the driver has been linked to a move to Sauber, which will become Audi in 2026.
Marko’s recent remarks have cast further doubt on Ricciardo’s future as a VCARB or RB driver for 2025 F1. According to the 81-year old, Red Bull shareholders are rooting for young talent despite RB’s admission that retaining Ricciardo and Tsunoda is their preference.
“The shareholders have made it known that it is a junior team and we have to act accordingly,” Marko said.
“The goal was that he [Ricciardo] would be considered for Red Bull with exceptional performances. That seat now belongs to Perez, so that plan is no longer valid.
“We will have to put a young driver in there soon. That would be Liam Lawson.”
Ricciardo has struggled to deliver consistent results and is currently 10 points behind his less experienced teammate despite holding the role of the lead driver at the team.
The Australian made a mid-season F1 return in 2023 to replace Nyck de Vries, and followed up with a subsequent injury—a broken wrist—that benched him for several races, significantly impeding his performance.
On the other hand, many thought Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson was guaranteed to secure a spot for the 2024 season after he took full advantage of the opportunity to showcase his skills last season when filling in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo.
Lawson’s ambitions for the top seat were, however, put on hold until perhaps 2025 following Perez’s contract extension and the confirmed driver lineup for 2024, which included Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda.
