F1 News: Helmut Marko Gives Update On Liam Lawson's - "Permanent Seat By 2025"
Red Bull motorsport advisor Dr Helmut Marko has provided an update on Liam Lawson's future, confirming that "by 2025 at the latest" he will be in a permanent F1 seat.
The Red Bull reserve driver has been standing in for Daniel Ricciardo in the AlphaTauri AT04 after he suffered from a broken wrist during the second free practice session of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend.
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The New Zealander has put in impressive performances on track including taking home his first Formula One points in Singapore with a ninth place finish, leading many to believe he could have bagged himself a full-time seat for 2024.
However, it was later confirmed by AlphaTauri that Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo had signed contract extensions for the 2024 season and that Lawson would continue as the reserve driver for both AlphaTauri and Red Bull.
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During an interview with Kleine Zeitung, Marko has now indicated that Lawson will be in a permanent seat for the 2025 season. He explained:
"Lawson certainly has the potential to be a GP winner, as he has mastered all the tasks so far masterfully and under the most difficult conditions. He was, in the truest sense of the word, thrown into the cold rain.
"He's a tough racer and one of the strongest drivers ever in a duel. With the role of reserve driver, he has a big task next year. But by 2025, at the latest, he'll be sitting permanently in a Formula 1 car anyway."
[Translated by Google]
Lawson will continue to stand in for Ricciardo this weekend in the Qatar Grand Prix but it is expected that the Australian driver will return for the Austin Grand Prix towards the end of the month.
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