Reserve driver Liam Lawson’s chances of securing a Formula 1 seat are gradually diminishing. As the season progresses, new contracts are being signed left and right. Red Bull is the latest team to finalize its line-up for the next two years. Lawson, a product of the Milton Keynes talent pool, is now considering options beyond his current team.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that Red Bull is playing it safe – the Austrians extended Sergio Pérez’s contract for another two years, filling both seats. Meanwhile, sister team Visa RB shows no signs of a driver swap. Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo have not yet signed new contracts, but in Faenza, it is emphasized that they are satisfied with both drivers.
For reserve driver Liam Lawson, this signals that he should start looking outside the Red Bull family. The New Zealander is eager for a permanent spot on the grid, after stepping in for Ricciardo in five race weekends in 2023. “Everything is changing quickly,” he recently told talksport. “A lot of drivers are moving around.”
‘Can Drive Anywhere’
Lawson has little to say about his own future. “If I could choose [where I want to drive], I would naturally go for Red Bull,” he continued. “But my ultimate goal is just to get into Formula 1. So I can actually drive anywhere.” Thanks to Pérez’s new contract, there are still nine seats up for grabs for 2025.
“I am constantly thinking about the future,” continued Liam Lawson. The 22-year-old driver seems to be done with the reserve role. “I don’t want to race because someone else is injured, I want to race because a team trusts me with a full-time seat,” he concluded.
