2 days Ago By Editor
Red Bull are currently wondering how three goes into two but with reports that the future of their two teams will be announced after Singapore, we have put forward our suggestions. Sergio Perez, Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson are all seemingly in a battle for the two spots left in the Red Bull organisation – but who will get in and who will miss out? Aside from Lawson, Red Bull is facing a choice of the lesser of two evils as neither Ricciardo nor Perez has exactly set the world on fire in the last few years. Perez’s struggles are well documented and his crash in Baku was the typical bad luck that has followed him of late, but Ricciardo is hardly making a case that he should be in the top seat.
The Australian still trails Yuki Tsunoda by 10 points and if Tsunoda is deemed not good enough by the Red Bull higher ups then how can Ricciardo be? The only way he can get the seat is if Red Bull still believes they can get the old Ricciardo back but you would have to go back to his Renault days for any sign of that form. With VCARB supposed to be a breeding ground for the next Red Bull talent, I think it makes sense to put Lawson in, especially with his contract reportedly allowing him to leave the organisation should he not get a seat, so I think he will get the nod for VCARB. As for Red Bull, I think the finances behind Perez’s seat are a factor and if Ricciardo is not going to guarantee you better results, you may as well stick with Perez.
Ricciardo’s big selling point is his marketability which can be just as well utilised as a third driver. Verdict: Sergio Perez stays at Red Bull, Liam Lawson in at VCARB and Daniel Ricciardo back as third driver. As I write this, the latest episode of Red Bull’s Talking Bull podcast has dropped – featuring Liam Lawson.
Hardly the actions of an organisation about to drop Lawson and let him go elsewhere, coming just a few days after the cut-off date Red Bull had to make a decision on whether or not to retain his services. But, if Lawson is being given a seat – and confirmation of that is expected in the days following the Singapore Grand Prix – then it means the only available seat is Daniel Ricciardo’s. While VCARB was confirmed as keeping Tsunoda quite a while ago, there hasn’t been the same swiftness when it comes to getting Ricciardo signed back up as his performances have been closely monitored.
Unfortunately for Ricciardo, his period without a contract has coincided with VCARB dropping off the boil in terms of competitiveness, and questionable strategies haven’t made life easy for him to impress. But, even if Ricciardo has recovered a little to be a solid performer again, there’s no indication of him being a clear match for Tsunoda. Red Bull is an organisation always looking for the next best thing, and the window of opportunity for Ricciardo’s experience as a benefit outweighing the unproven potential of Lawson appears to have closed.
For that reason, my guess is that Red Bull Racing retains Sergio Perez alongside Max Verstappen – he’s under contract to do so anyway, and his recent performances being much more comparable (or better!) than Verstappen’s seem to be steadying the ship for his immediate future. Ricciardo’s loyalty and general fit in with Red Bull are undeniable, and his personality makes him a marketing dream, but I fear his racing career with Red Bull is drawing to an end in about three months’ time – there’s a long and fruitful brand association waiting for him, like David Coulthard has had over the last two decades, if that’s the path presented to him. Verdict: Like Sam above, Perez at RBR, Lawson in at VCARB, Ricciardo kept in the background in some sort of role while third/sim driver roles go to Ayumu Iwasa and Isack Hadjar.
With three drivers waiting for rides and just two available seats, the Red Bull organization is facing down a no-win scenario in trying to solidify its 2025 driver line-up — but for me, the answer is clear. It’s time to bid adieu to Daniel Ricciardo. Ricciardo’s AlphaTauri career revival in 2023 came only because the team’s original choice, Nyck de Vries, failed to meet the team’s exacting standards, and I can’t fault a multi-million dollar racing organization for making a safe bet partway through a season when it was desperate for constructors’ points.
But the Ricciardo ship has long since sailed. The Australian’s performances have been middling with his VCARB team, and it’s time to give Liam Lawson a chance at showing his skill in Formula 1 on a full-time basis. As for Sergio Perez, well — the Mexican racer has certainly dropped the ball in 2024, but Red Bull as an organization has also been struggling.
Introducing a brand-new driver into the mix while trying to rectify the issues plaguing the team’s car development may very well be too much to handle. Keep Checo paired up with Verstappen for 2025, and give Lawson a chance at the seat in 2026. Verdict: Same as Sam and Thomas! It all hinges on Sergio Perez and whether he can make himself undroppable between now and the end of the season.
If, as expected, Liam Lawson is promoted as Yuki Tsunoda’s team-mate for 2025, will Red Bull really allow Daniel Ricciardo to just fade away? Do not underestimate the strength of the affection the team still has for him after all they achieved together the first time and all the time and effort spent in bringing him back in from the cold in 2023. If there is an excuse (like, say, seeing their reign as Constructors’ Champions ended by McLaren) to take this prodigal son storyline all the way and bring Ricciardo back to the senior team, Daniel’s friends high up at Red Bull – including Christian Horner – will most likely take it. It is down to Perez, then, to make himself bulletproof.
And the evidence so far this season doesn’t suggest he will do so. Verdict: Liam Lawson to VCARB, Ricciardo to replace Perez I’m somewhat baffled that my esteemed colleagues above believe either Perez or Ricciardo should be allowed near a Formula 1 car but one of the joys of this world is we’re all entitled to our opinions. Mine? In that in a perfect world Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo would be dropped, Liam Lawson would be in the RB21 and Isack Hadjar in the VCARB.
But alas this isn’t a perfect world, and I’m not a Red Bull team boss. Red Bull seem determined to advocate for Perez come high and/or lost Constructors’ Championship title so I don’t see him being dropped. And in all fairness, he did have a good weekend in Baku where he outqualified Verstappen for the first time in 33 races and would’ve finished ahead of him were it not for Carlos Sainz not remembering he has mirrors.
So Perez stays. Again. Or at least until the next round of rumours kick off.
That leaves the VCARB seat, and a heartfelt goodbye to Ricciardo and welcome to Lawson. Ricciardo has done nothing, and I do mean nothing, to warrant holding onto a race seat that could be used by Red Bull to blood the next generation. Max Verstappen will leave the team at some point, whether that is in 2026 for Aston Martin or Mercedes or 2029 because he’s done with F1.
And today Red Bull do not have a Red Bull driver to replace him. Not even close. Lawson is a possibility but he’s not Verstappen, Hadjar could be, and Ayumu Iwasa is also a maybe.
But they need a chance to prove themselves and at VCARB when they’re not under pressure to match Verstappen. Red Bull have to put Lawson in the car, this year even, to give him the chance to at least work his way into Perez’s seat because never mind who comes after Verstappen, who comes after/when Perez finally reaches the point of no return? It’s coming. And Red Bull are currently not prepared.
Verdict: Sergio Perez stays at Red Bull (for now), Liam Lawson in the VCARB, Isack Hadjar as reserve driver Read next: Horner, Perez and Newey: How Red Bull’s title stranglehold came loose.
