Liam Lawson is hoping this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is his final race as an RB driver. He’s eyeing a promotion to Red Bull at the expense of Sergio Perez.
Red Bull have decided to drop Perez, according to reports this week, at the end of a dreadful season. With Christian Horner no longer keen on Franco Colapinto, it’s a shoot-out between Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda.
They’re vying to become the first driver promoted from the junior team since Alex Albon midway through the 2019 season. Red Bull’s doubts about Tsunoda may make Lawson the favourite.
It would be a remarkable rise for the New Zealander. As recently as September’s Singapore GP, he wasn’t racing in F1 at all.
He returned in the United States in place of Daniel Ricciardo and has scored four points thus far. The Abu Dhabi GP will be just his 11th outing in F1 after a brief stint in the car during the 2023 campaign.
At 22, Lawson is the second-youngest driver on the current grid, only behind Colapinto (21). He could be going up against one of the sport’s all-time greats in Max Verstappen come next March.
Liam Lawson initiated Christian Horner talks after Sergio Perez crash
Red Bull won’t just make their decision based on speed. They also want a driver who has the right temperament for the top team.
When Lawson gave Perez the middle finger at the Mexico City GP in October, it may have raised concerns. This came after the two drivers collided at the turn four and five chicane in what the stewards called a racing incident.
Recognising the error of his ways, Lawson ‘called a meeting’ with Red Bull team principal Horner, according to Speedcafe. He wanted to ‘discuss the incident’ and ‘take his medicine’.
The team were impressed with the ‘proactivity’ he showed. Helmut Marko said Lawson apologised for swearing at the Mexican.
Helmut Marko has already warned Liam Lawson ahead of potential Red Bull promotion
Perez has refused to take responsibility for his performances this season, instead framing it as a collective issue. In that sense, Lawson’s willingness to hold himself to account will be refreshing.
Since Ricciardo left Red Bull at the end of 2018, Verstappen has brutally beaten three consecutive teammates. With neither driver entirely convincing, there will be fears of a repeat.
The second driver doesn’t need to match Verstappen, which looks a near-impossible task. Instead, they simply need to keep the margins respectable and consistently compete at the front, rather than dropping into the midfield.
That sounds like a low bar. But in a veiled warning to Lawson, Marko emphasised that Verstappen is Red Bull’s priority, which means car development will be geared towards his unique driving style.
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