Breaking News: Marko reveals timeline for L… Read More.
Marko reveals timeline for L… Read More.
Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport boss, has provided a timeline for when Liam Lawson’s future with the team will be clarified
Following the Belgian Grand Prix, it was decided that Sergio Perez would retain his seat at Red Bull Racing for the remainder of the 2024 F1 season, alongside Max Verstappen.
This decision also ensures Daniel Ricciardo’s position at Red Bull for the rest of the year.
Lawson, who had been considered a potential replacement for Perez, remains uncertain about his future.
Marko revealed in a column for the Red Bull-backed Speedweek publication that an announcement regarding Lawson’s future will be made in September.
Lawson, the reserve driver for both Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri, recently participated in testing at Imola with a 2022-spec AlphaTauri.
Initially, Lawson was supposed to share duties with Ricciardo in a current-spec RB VCARB01.
However, after discussions between Marko and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, plans changed, and Ricciardo instead shared the VCARB01 with Yuki Tsunoda, leaving Lawson to drive the 2022 car exclusively.
Marko has previously stated that a clause guarantees Lawson a race seat for 2025, or he will be free to pursue opportunities elsewhere.
There have been discussions between Lawson and Audi regarding a potential partnership with Nico Hulkenberg.
Despite this uncertainty, Lawson might still join Red Bull next season and could potentially replace Perez this year if Perez’s performance does not improve.
Marko noted that Perez will continue racing for Red Bull after the summer break, as upcoming tracks suit him based on his performance last year.
The team is focusing on stability and believes Perez can improve.
During the last race weekend at Spa, Perez showed promise by starting from second place and having the potential to finish third.
However, tyre issues and strategy constraints affected his performance. Marko emphasized that while Perez needs to be more consistent, he remains Red Bull Racing’s best option currently.
He dismissed reports suggesting that Perez’s commitment to the team was influenced by Liberty Media’s request for him to race in Mexico, stating that their driver selection is independent of Liberty’s intentions.