Liam Lawson is at the center of the driver market. It seems like a paradox because, among others, without a contract for next season there is a driver of the caliber of Carlos Sainz, winner of 2 of the last 3 races brought home by Ferrari. Instead, the Australian’s future in Formula 1 will have a very important specific weight for both Racing Bulls and Red Bull.
Lawson, although he was recently contacted by Audi to occupy the seat next to Nico Hulkenberg, is still the main candidate for the seat which today belongs to Daniel Ricciardo, thus becoming the new teammate of the already confirmed Yuki Tsunoda starting from next season .
Red Bull would thus bring a driver from its academy to Racing Bulls, something that had not happened for several years (Tsunoda was the last to make the step from F2 to the Faenza team in 2021). But behind this move there are several entanglements due to political clashes within Red Bull that have been going on for months now, i.e. since the Horner case broke out at the beginning of 2024.
The leaders of the Austrian Group continue to see Racing Bulls as a junior team of Red Bull Racing, therefore the landing place for the young drivers of the academy ready to make the leap from the minor categories to Formula 1. A year ago Christian Horner – who boasts a predominant position in several sectors of Red Bull Racing – had tried to revive Daniel Ricciardo’s career.
Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
The former Renault and McLaren Australian had returned to the fold after an excellent test at Silverstone last spring, which convinced Horner to give him another chance. Ricciardo returned to Formula 1 taking the place of the disappointing Nyck De Vries, with the hope (his and Horner’s) of returning to Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen, taking advantage of the dark period that Sergio Perez experienced for most of 2023.
The last GPs of last season were encouraging, but the recent multi-year renewal signed by Perez with Red Bull Racing has made Ricciardo’s seat nothing short of hot. For Red Bull the seat next to Tsunoda no longer makes sense to belong to Ricciardo. Vice versa, it is the perfect arrangement for Lawson, who would restart the machine oiled over the years by Helmut Marko who brings the young drivers of the academy into Formula 1 after a ferocious, ruthless selection, but which at times has offered high-level drivers .
In all of this, Christian Horner seems to have convinced himself to lose Ricciardo, making room for Lawson. And it is at this juncture that Max Verstappen’s future comes into play. Horner, over the last few weeks, has seen ninety pieces of the team leave. The first name above all is that of Adrian Newey, today on holiday but destined to accept another challenge, probably the last of a glittering career.
Doing everything to keep Ricciardo in Racing Bulls, while simultaneously losing Liam Lawson, would probably have led to an irreparable rift with Helmut Marko, and therefore the latter’s farewell. The link between the Red Bull Racing consultant and Max Verstappen has been known for some time and made even stronger by the statements released by the Dutchman.
![Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Red Bull Racing, Red Bull Racing Team Consultant Dr Helmut Marko](https://cdn.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0L17WQj2/s1000/red-bull-racing-team-principal.jpg)
Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Red Bull Racing, Red Bull Racing Team Consultant Dr Helmut Marko
Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
“For me, I have a lot of respect for Helmut and what we have achieved together,” Verstappen declared last spring, just when Marko seemed to be out of Red Bull.
“Then, of course, my loyalty to him is very great, and I have always expressed it to everyone within the team, at all the highest levels, that he is an important part of my decision-making process going forward. even within the team.”
“It is very important to keep the key people together, because I feel that if such an important pillar is missing, this is also what I told the team, it is not good for my situation. It is important that he remains in the team, also for myself”.
In short, Lawson in Racing Bulls is a move that satisfies everyone. Red Bull and Marko because it allows the Faenza team to continue its mission, the one for which it was bought almost 20 years ago. Horner because, with Marko satisfied at least from this point of view, he should not leave his role, creating a domino effect that would certainly also involve Max Verstappen in a possible farewell.
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