EXCLUSIVE: Red Bull F1 star can make team switch on ONE condition

Pérez, Tsunoda, Lawson, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

GPFans Exclusive

EXCLUSIVE: Red Bull F1 star can make team switch on ONE condition

Liam Lawson is reportedly competing for a seat at the main Red Bull team in 2025

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 12 November 2024 12:57

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A member of the Red Bull Formula 1 family has been dealt a verdict over what the reigning constructors' champions could be looking out for to decide his fate for 2025.

Christian Horner's outfit have experimented with the driver lineup of their junior squad this year, having opted to drop fan-favourite Daniel Ricciardo from VCARB mid-season.

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Ricciardo, who had been at the centre of rumours that his RB seat was at risk for most of the 2024 season, left the team after the Singapore GP back in September, to be immediately replaced by Kiwi star Liam Lawson.

Horner and Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko made it clear with this decision that they felt the team were in desperate need of a points overhaul, with both the main and secondary outfits struggling with performance throughout 2024.

Whilst Max Verstappen still leads the drivers' championship, the constructors' title looks well out of sight for Red Bull now, with both McLaren and Ferrari having overtaken them thanks to the many point-less performances from Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez.

Sergio Perez has struggled to extract points from his Red Bull in 2024

Daniel Ricciardo was replaced at RB by Liam Lawson

Red Bull star signposts Lawson's goal for F1 promotion

In an exclusive interview with GPFans, former Red Bull F1 driver David Coulthard discussed the pressures of F1, having experienced the challenge of a team shootout in order to secure his own full-time seat in the sport at the start of his career.

"I think in any sporting career long term is season to season, as great as Lewis Hamilton is he will eventually stop racing in Formula 1 and here’s the thing, Formula 1 will keep happening and the world will keep turning.

"Nobody is bigger than the sport and therefore if you get an opportunity you have to be ready for it."

Reflecting on Lawson's previous shot at proving his worth when he temporarily replaced Ricciardo in 2023, Coulthard said: "I think he [Lawson] was ready for those five races he did when Daniel broke his hand last year, did a very good job, that's him done his let’s say slightly out of the spotlight entry into Formula 1."

Liam Lawson's return to RB has placed Sergio Perez under significant pressure to perform

Lawson's last chance with Red Bull

Coulthard also discussed the struggles Lawson will be facing, and how one condition could gain him a seat at the main team should he meet it.

"We have to ask ourselves, is Yuki Tsunoda capable of beating Lewis, Max, Charles on a consistent basis and if you think the answer’s yes then okay let’s get him in a car alongside him and see how he goes, if you think probably not then therefore if Liam's not beating Yuki Tsunoda, he's probably not [beating] one of the names we’ve just mentioned."

With Marko having already declared that both Lawson and Tsunoda are auditioning to replace Perez alongside Verstappen, the young Kiwi driver should have his sights set on proving he is definitively better than his team-mate Tsunoda.

"Sport is full of good racing drivers but we've got to find the exceptionals." Coulthard continued.

"I am not putting myself in the exceptional category at all but what I was ready when the opportunity that I didn't know was coming came and it’s exactly what I say to my son today, you’ve got to train for where you want to be, you don’t just train for karting you train for where you want to be.

David Coulthard continues to pilot Red Bull machinery in a marketing role

"I look back on my teenage years when I moved to Milton Keynes and I was training like a Formula 1 driver with no idea or real kind of knowledge of whether I would ever be a Formula 1 driver but that was the strength that I had in my career was being ready for what was coming up.

"Liam absolutely is ready, it’s now in his hands, he’s got to beat Yuki, if he beats Yuki he’s on his way, if he doesn't it's kind of his time in the spotlight up."

"I know some people see that as tough and Red Bull and Dr Marko get criticism for sort of bringing in young talent then dropping it, but I always say they've been funded through Formula 3, Formula 2, that is huge.

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Christian Horner Daniel Ricciardo VCARB