Should everything go as expected, then Red Bull’s second car will be occupied by Liam Lawson – not Sergio Perez – in 2025. Although extricating himself out of the pressure cooker would be good for Perez, who has the opportunity to take time away from being bludgeoned around the face on a weekly basis with the ramifications of his own underperformance, he’s not keen to do it. He insists, defiantly, that he’ll be racing there next year – even if it’s probably not good for him.
Red Bull views Lawson as the least problematic option for the second seat, out of those it has available. He’s a consistent performer, even if his outright pace is down on RB team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, and is likely to play the dutiful number two role to Max Verstappen to keep the still-reigning champion sweet.
