Liam Lawson could be facing a promotion within Red Bull next season if they decide to drop Sergio Perez at the end of the season.
Perez is facing mounting pressure to perform in the final race of the season amid talk that he could end up being ousted by Red Bull chiefs, who are planning a summit at the end of the season to discuss how to proceed.
It comes after Perez has failed to finish inside the top 10 places at three of the last four races, while also costing Red Bull a chance to defend their Constructors’ Championship crown.
If Perez is replaced, Lawson is seen as the ideal candidate to replace him, given that Christian Horner reportedly does not support promoting Yuki Tsunoda.
Helmut Marko has praised Lawson and compared him to another prospect on the grid when speaking to Kleine Zeitung.
Helmut Marko believes Liam Lawson ‘delivered’ more than Franco Colapinto
Franco Colapinto entered the frame at Red Bull after a successful start to his Williams career, earning them points finishes at races including Azerbaijan and Austin.
But his form has taken a dip in recent races, with crashes in Brazil and Las Vegas costing Williams millions of pounds in damage repair bills that could see them break the budget cap.
Marko has been wary of this, which is why Red Bull is no longer pursuing Colapinto as an option. The Austrian also had some words to say about Lawson when comparing him to the Argentine.
“Liam Lawson has delivered much better than Colapinto, that somehow gets under my skin,” said Marko.
Max Verstappen comments on Sergio Perez ahead of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
One of the biggest talking points of the Abu Dhabi race weekend was the war of words between Max Verstappen and George Russell, who are both still upset over their moment in Qatar qualifying.
Verstappen claimed Russell was lying to the stewards, before being asked a question about Perez amid talks about his future at the team.
The Dutchman said he has been a “great team player” and enjoyed racing with him on race weekends, despite their car not always being the fastest.
Verstappen could match Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton’s winning record at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix if he takes a 10th victory of 2024.
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