Visa Cash App RB driver Liam Lawson may be just one race away from earning his dream race seat in Formula 1.
Sergio Perez could lose his Red Bull seat after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after a season of underperformance.
Perez currently sits 277 points behind teammate Max Verstappen and his retirement from Sunday’s race in Qatar when running in the points piled further pressure on the Mexican.
Christian Horner told Perez he had a decision to make on his future but whether the 34-year-old is going to walk away himself or wait to be pushed is yet to be seen.
Red Bull have a shareholders meeting the Monday after the race in Abu Dhabi where Perez’s future is one of the topics being discussed.
If Perez is let go before the end of his current contract expires, then Horner and Helmut Marko need to decide on his replacement.
Red Bull have backed themselves into a corner where in one of the most chaotic driver markets in F1 history, they’re left trying to find a replacement for Perez when 19 out of the 20 seats on the grid are settled.
Jenson Button was speaking ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix on Sky Sports about Liam Lawson as a potential candidate to replace Perez.
Lawson and RB teammate Yuki Tsunoda appear to be in a battle for Perez’s seat, with Red Bull no longer considering Franco Colapinto.
Button has now told Lawson what he has to do to put himself at the front of the queue to earn that coveted promotion.
Jenson Button gives advice to Liam Lawson if he wants 2025 Red Bull promotion
Talking about the two RB drivers, Button said: “Liam Lawson, it feels that he needs to still, for me, he needs to improve still and show what he can do on a consistent basis.
“We only have two races left, so I think he needs to show that he can put in a good result.”
READ MORE: Who is Visa Cash App RB driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
Button continued after a discussion about Tsunoda and said, “Liam, Liam is brand new to F1!
“He’s not got a full season yet, so for him to be up in the Red Bull, that’s a big deal.
“For me, Yuki-san would be the one that’s more ready for the role.”
Liam Lawson left frustrated after a disappointing Qatar Grand Prix
Lawson is only five races into his latest run in F1 but already has two points-scoring finishes under his belt.
On his debut in Austin, he held off fellow rookie Colapinto to score a pair of points and in treacherous conditions in Sao Paulo, he finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Perez to finish ninth.
Tsunoda outperformed Lawson in Brazil but hasn’t been too far away from his more experienced teammate since returning to the grid.
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Lawson was upset with one rival on track in Qatar after a pointless weekend for RB that saw them lose ground on Alpine and Haas.
Tsunoda looked brilliant during Sunday’s race until his pace dropped off a cliff and the late switch onto soft tyres didn’t pay off.
It’ll be interesting to see what RB can do in Abu Dhabi to try and make up the 13-point deficit to Alpine, and Red Bull will be watching very closely to see if Lawson can put a significant dent in that advantage.
