Red Bull executive director Helmut Marko will feel that order has been restored to his Formula 1 teams after Liam Lawson replaced Sergio Perez. Now, all four of his drivers will be products of the academy.
Perez was an external hire at the end of 2020 after he lost his seat at Racing Point. Alex Albon had struggled alongside Max Verstappen since his abrupt promotion from Toro Rosso.
Albon replaced Pierre Gasly just half a season into his Formula 1 career. Given how quickly Red Bull had given up on the Frenchman, there was no prospect of him returning.
The hope was that Perez could finally be the long-term replacement for Daniel Ricciardo, who made a surprise exit at the end of 2018. In a sense, that’s exactly what he was, becoming Verstappen’s longest-serving teammate.
But the Mexican only really looked like a dependable number two in his first two years at Milton Keynes. He completely unravelled in 2024, setting up a shoot-out between Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda.
Lawson won out, and when he lines up on the grid for next year’s Australian GP, he’ll be Red Bull’s least experienced driver (11 race starts). F2 runner-up Isack Hadjar is set to graduate to RB in his stead.
Helmut Marko feared Franco Colapinto was too expensive for Red Bull
Red Bull did consider an outside hire to replace Perez. Franco Colapinto suddenly looked like a star of the future after replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams.
Racing for a team who finished second from bottom in the championship, Colapinto scored points twice in his first four Grands Prix. He was immediately close to the highly-rated Albon.
Aware that Williams had signed Carlos Sainz for 2025 to deny Colapinto a seat, Red Bull made their move. According to ESPN, talks reached an advanced stage.
However, across the Sao Paulo and Las Vegas GP weekends, he crashed three times. James Vowles had urged Colapinto be cautious in Nevada after he contributed to Williams’ giant seven-figure repair bill in Brazil.
That accident was especially damaging to his reputation. It sewed doubts at Red Bull, with Marko, who ‘has always looked for patterns’ when evaluating young talent, now unsure whether he was ‘worth the money’.
Vowles was willing to release his young driver for an opportunity elsewhere, but wanted a handsome fee given that he had a long-term contract. One report claims Red Bull initially offered £15.4m for Colapinto.
How Franco Colapinto could still end up joining the Red Bull programme in 2026
Colapinto is now set to remain with Williams as reserve driver for 2025. This will entail an extensive testing programme, one that suitors may be watching.
Alpine remain interested in Colapinto, even if they too may be concerned by his spate of accidents. Much will depend on how rookie Jack Doohan fares next year.
And Yuki Tsunoda could open the door for Colapinto at RB for 2026. Tsunoda’s frustration levels will surely peak after the most damning snub yet, potentially leading to his departure.
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