Max Verstappen will have a new teammate at Red Bull next season, with Liam Lawson “for sure” getting the role because it would be “crazy” for Red Bull not to promote him after his performance in Austin.
Lawson returned to Formula 1 at the United States Grand Prix and was given a six-race chance to secure his spot for next year.
“I just know for sure that he will drive next to Max next year,” he said.
Initially, it was thought that Lawson was competing for a spot on Red Bull’s junior team, VCARB, but Christian Horner stated that Lawson’s six-race stint “goes beyond VCARB; it encompasses Red Bull Racing.” This has led experts to speculate that he might replace Sergio Perez on the main team.
Although Perez signed an extension earlier this year for F1 2025, he has struggled to improve and has gone 14 races without a podium finish.
He is the only driver from the top four teams without a win this season, currently sitting in P8 and over 200 points behind Verstappen in the standings, which has hurt Red Bull’s lead in the Constructors’ Championship. They could even drop to third place behind Ferrari.
After the United States Grand Prix, Lawson had a significant advantage, as he raced from the back of the grid, starting in P19 due to an engine penalty, and finished ninth, gaining 10 places. In contrast, Perez only moved from ninth to seventh and finished 40 seconds behind Verstappen, while Lawson was just 10 seconds behind Perez.
Former F1 driver Christijan Albers believes Lawson will definitely be in the RB21 next season alongside Verstappen, saying Red Bull would be “crazy” to stick with Perez.
“Surely he [Perez] has enough experience then that he knows how to build up a weekend?” Albers told De Telegraaf before answering his own question.
“He continuously doesn’t know how to build a weekend. He is constantly focusing on Max, driving himself crazy.
“Then I look at a guy like Lawson, who is hungry, and I just know for sure that he will drive next to Max next year. If that doesn’t happen, then I’ll declare everyone at Red Bull crazy.
“There are still five races to go, and sometimes a driver can suddenly change their performance. But, if it were up to me, it is certain.
“Look, if he now crashes the car into everything and does silly things for five races, then I might have doubts. But if you look at how he is performing now as an underdog, then I think that is very good.
“He has to keep looking at the data, keep performing, consult well, and see what Tsunoda is doing.”
