Red Bull Makes U-Turn On Liam Lawson- 'We Could Rent Him Out Somewhere Else'

Saajan Jogia | Aug 23, 2024

May 5, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull team principle Christian Horner sits in the F1 Village before the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Providing an update on Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson, who is eagerly awaiting a full-time F1 seat with either Red Bull or its junior team VCARB, team principal Christian Horner revealed that Lawson will be free to pursue opportunities with other teams if he isn't offered a spot at Red Bull. His statement contradicts senior advisor Helmut Marko's comments about Lawson securing an F1 seat next year within the Red Bull family.

The 22-year-old proved his racing prowess last year by performing reserve driver duties for Daniel Ricciardo when he injured his wrist during a free practice crash at Zandvoort. In his Formula 1 debut, Lawson raced in five Grands Prix and even scored points for the team through his ninth-place finish in Singapore.

Given Sergio Perez's mid-season performance slump this year, during which he failed to score points in multiple races, speculation arose that he might be asked to leave Red Bull over the summer break, paving the way for Ricciardo's promotion to the team.

Lawson was expected to take Ricciardo's seat at VCARB alongside Yuki Tsunoda. However, with Ricciardo's own struggles this season and Horner's confirmation that Perez will continue racing for Red Bull under his newly extended two-year contract, Lawson's future with the team remains uncertain for the upcoming season.

But with VCARB shaping up to be the best platform for aspiring junior talent from the Red Bull stable, Marko recently revealed to Kleine Zeitung that Lawson will secure a seat in one of their cars in 2025. He said:

"Next year he'll be sitting in one of our cars." [Translated by Google]

Specifying the timeline for the decision, he added:

"There will be a decision in September."

However, Horner has contradicted Marko, suggesting that Lawson would soon be free from his contract to approach other teams for an F1 seat. Speaking to Sky Sports F1as reported by RacingNews365.com, where he opened up on his discussion with Marko, the team boss said:

“I asked him [Marko], he said he [Lawson] will have a drive in Formula 1 next year.

“We could rent him out somewhere else. Nothing is fixed. If we don't take up the option on Liam, then he's a free driver for 2025. 

“We've got specific time periods within drivers' contracts where that becomes prevalent. 

“I checked with Helmut earlier and he said, 'No, I didn't say which car - I just said 'a drive''.”

It's worth noting that Ricciardo has yet to secure a contract extension with VCARB, while Tsunoda is already confirmed for the upcoming season. If Ricciardo fails to deliver strong performances in the remaining ten Grands Prix, chances are that he could be replaced by Lawson in 2025.