Red Bull are about to formally announce that Sergio Perez will no longer be racing for them in 2025. They have the F1 world on tenterhooks since the finale in Abu Dhabi, but there are a couple of other vacancies to be filled too.
Liam Lawson is set to replace Perez, which will leave a vacancy at RB next to Yuki Tsunoda. Isack Hadjar expects to join the F1 grid in 2025 having finished runner-up in F2.
Having competed in two FP1 sessions this year, Hadjar was the standout candidate if Red Bull needed a backup option. Ferrari and Haas both had to call upon Oliver Bearman in 2024 as a result of illness and suspension, highlighting the importance of a reserve driver.
| TEAM | 2024 RESERVE DRIVER(S) |
| Red Bull | Liam Lawson |
| Mercedes | Mick Schumacher |
| Ferrari | Oliver Bearman, Antonio Giovinazzi & Robert Shwartzman |
| McLaren | Ryo Hirakawa & Pato O’Ward |
| Aston Martin | Felipe Drugovich & Stoffel Vandoorne |
| Alpine | Jack Doohan |
| Williams | Mick Schumacher & Franco Colapinto |
| RB | Liam Lawson |
| Sauber | Zane Maloney & Theo Pourchaire |
| Haas | Oliver Bearman & Pietro Fittipaldi |
Perez could take on an ambassadorial role, leaving Red Bull without an obvious stand-in option. Teenage gem Arvid Lindblad will graduate to F2 but he hasn’t yet amassed the superlicence points required for F1.
Ayumu Iwasa supposedly outshone Lawson in a private test, so may be of use. But it seems Christian Horner wants to add a new driver to the stable.
Horner offered Daniel Ricciardo a reserve role when he lost his seat. But after carrying out those duties in 2023, Ricciardo had little interest in another stint.
Red Bull no longer interested in making Zhou Guanyu their next reserve driver
Multiple F1 drivers lost their seat at the end of the season, strengthening the reserve market. For instance, Valtteri Bottas is expected to rejoin Mercedes to support George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
Ex-Haas star Kevin Magnussen may be available, as long as any F1 appearances don’t clash with his BMW M-Sport duties. Zhou Guanyu is another appealing option after Sauber let him go.
Zhou brings a £27m sponsorship package as the sport’s first-ever Chinese driver. That could help Red Bull recoup some of the money they may lose from axing Perez.
To that end, they held talks with the 25-year-old, along with four other teams. But according to F1TV’s Lawrence Barretto, their interest has now ‘cooled’.
Eddie Jordan absolutely loved one thing he saw from Zhou Guanyu in 2025
Zhou joined the F1 grid at the start of the 2022 season and has scored 16 points in his 68 races to date. He’s intent on a comeback for 2026.
After being rejected by Red Bull, Zhou could join Ferrari instead. That could further strengthen his chances of a Cadillac seat, with the Italian giants set to supply the newcomer’s engines.
2024 had been a damaging season for Zhou until he scored four points at the penultimate race in Qatar. Sauber had gone 22 points without getting on the board.
Eddie Jordan loved Zhou’s ‘trojan’ performance at Lusail. While it wasn’t enough to win over Horner, it surely impressed multiple suitors.
