Liam Lawson, the reserve driver for the Red Bull team, has expressed his willingness to explore other opportunities if he cannot fulfill his “dream” of a full-time Formula 1 drive within the Red Bull stable. Despite delivering impressive performances during his temporary stint as a substitute for Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull has chosen to retain Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo as their drivers for the rebranded RB squad. As a result, Lawson finds himself back in the role of a reserve driver. While his ideal scenario is to make it into Formula 1 through the Red Bull development scheme, Lawson acknowledges that he may need to consider other options if a spot with the team is not available. He remains determined to secure a place on the grid for the 2025 season.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has previously assured Lawson that he will be on the grid “no later than in 2025,” indicating the possibility that he could replace either Tsunoda or Ricciardo. Therefore, the performances of the current Red Bull drivers will play a crucial role in determining Lawson’s future prospects. So far, Tsunoda has outperformed Ricciardo in the first three races of this season, putting the Australian driver under pressure to improve his results and match Tsunoda’s performance. Ricciardo has expressed his ambition to return to the Red Bull team, which he left at the end of 2018, but it appears that Sergio Perez, whose contract expires in 2024, is currently in a favorable position to retain his seat alongside reigning champion Max Verstappen.