Helmut Marko tells Liam Lawson the improvement he has to make in 2025 amid Red Bull promotion talk

Liam Lawson is set to land a full-time seat in Formula 1 for the 2025 season – but he will be making a major step up.

The Kiwi driver has impressed the Red Bull hierarchy since he was called up to replace the injured Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri for five races in 2023, scoring his first points in F1 at the Singapore Grand Prix.

After being snubbed by Ricciardo for a full-time seat in 2024, Lawson returned to the Faenza outfit – now Visa Cash App RB – following the Aussie’s sacking in Singapore and replaced him for the remainder of the season.

Partnering Yuki Tsunoda, the 22-year-old displayed solid pace in qualifying and promising racecraft against his teammate, despite being beaten by the Japanese driver in all six qualifying sessions and 4-2 in Grand Prix results.

Lawson even beat Sergio Perez in four of his six appearances in 2024 as the Mexican struggled to cope with the pressure of losing his seat. After the 34-year-old’s dismal season, the team are considering their options for 2025, with Perez set to leave Red Bull before the season starts.

Perez’s name was included on the entry list for 2025 as he does have a contract for 2025 after signing an extension in June. But that looks set to change as Christian Horner and Helmut Marko have already decided Perez’s replacement for next season in Lawson.

Helmut Marko says Liam Lawson must show Red Bull he can ‘race again’ amid promotion talks

The Kiwi driver will be Max Verstappen’s fifth different teammate since 2018, with the Dutchman having dominated Lawson’s predecessors in equal machinery.

Red Bull rate Lawson highly and it is a great opportunity for the 22-year-old to put his pace and aggressive racing style to good use in a competitive car.

READ MORE: Who is Visa Cash App RB driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know

But Lawson is not the finished product yet as Helmut Marko pointed out. The Austrian says that the young talent has to show Red Bull he is able to ‘race again’ throughout a full season.

“Liam proved already that he’s a tough racer, he’s not shy to fight with big names like he did with Alonso, with Hamilton, also with Perez,” Marko said via the Inside Line F1 Podcast.

“So now, if he gets a full season, he has to show that he is able to race again. I mean in qualifying he was more or less on the same level like Yuki, and we have to see how much more is coming to see if he is becoming one of the great drivers.

“I would also say that he is in the races more consistently, that he has top times with both type of drivers. There is some sort of variation still, but that is, I mean, I don’t think he had ten Grand Prix so far. That just comes with experience.”

Red Bull set to snub Yuki Tsunoda over a 2025 seat

Red Bull had considered several options to replace Perez for 2025, with Lawson’s teammate Tsunoda also being in the running for a promotion.

The Japanese driver has been with RB since 2021 and largely outperformed more experienced teammate Ricciardo in 2024 up until his dismissal. But Tsunoda looks set to miss out on the Red Bull seat, with Lawson being their preferred choice.

Tiff Needell feels Tsunoda should have replaced Perez at Red Bull as he now looks set for a fifth season with RB. Formula 2 runner-up Isack Hadjar is likely to partner him in 2025 as Lawson’s replacement.

The Frenchman had acted as the team’s reserve driver while Lawson raced in F1, now he is set for his chance to shine in the pinnacle of motorsport. Red Bull juniors Arvid Lindblad and Pepe Marti are set to become reserve drivers to replace Hadjar.