SUMMARY
- Liam Lawson was one of the stars of the 2023 season after racing in just 3 races.
- Helmut Marko wants Lawson to get some more race experience before becoming a full-time F1 driver.
Liam Lawson was one of the stars of the 2023 season. Although he raced only for 5 races, he outscored a number of other drivers and was even able to outperform Nyck de Vries who drove for AlphaTauri for 10 races. One of Liam Lawson’s best performances came during the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix where he qualified 7th ahead of both Red Bulls.
This impressive F1 debut for Liam Lawson has fans demanding to see him back on track. However, he was not able to find a seat for the 2024 season as all the teams have chosen to retain their driver lineups. But Helmut Marko believes that Liam will be back on the grid in 2025.
Liam Lawson’s performance puts him on the shortlist for Red Bull
Given his impressive performance in 2023, Red Bull will be looking to bring him back to F1 at the earliest. Even Franz Tost thinks Liam will be back on the grid soon. There is no doubt that the 2025 season gives the best opportunity to do so. However, Helmut Marko thinks Liam Lawson should get some more experience before the 2025 season.
“Yes, and before that, he should at least drive a few more races,” he told oe24.
“So that we can see where his potential really lies.”
🚨 | Helmut Marko says Liam Lawson should “at least drive a few races” before 2025.
He reveals Red Bull’s plans for Lawson:https://t.co/YDAyPjMvLx
— formularacers (@formularacers_) December 30, 2023
It looks as though Marko will look for an opportunity to bring back Lawson in an F1 car for another race or two. However, this might be difficult unless one of the Red Bull or AlphaTauri drivers falls sick or is unable to drive. In 2023, Daniel Ricciardo injured his wrist during a practice session in Zandvoort. Liam Lawson was chosen to replace him until he recovered.
Lawson will be driving in Super Formula as a Red Bull driver for the second season in 2024. In 2023, he finished 2nd in the Super Formula Drivers’ Championship. This along with his F1 performance has made 2023 Liam’s breakthrough year of his career. There is no doubt that we will see more from the driver in the coming years.
Is Liam Lawson the future of Red Bull?
Red Bull always have 4 of their drivers in F1. This includes their 2 drivers in Red Bull Racing and the other 2 drivers in AlphaTauri. Apart from this, there are a number of other drivers in Formula 2 and other series as well. Liam Lawson is clearly the best driver outside of F1.
There is no doubt that Sergio Perez will not be in F1 for too long given his age. Even Max Verstappen could choose to retire soon from F1. When we look at AlphaTauri, Daniel Ricciardo will also not be in F1 for too long. The only young candidate would be Yuki Tsunoda.
🚨 | Liam Lawson’s return to F1 is highly anticipated.
Franz Tost outlines when he expects Lawson on the grid – at the latest:https://t.co/lvEzNe6VLB
— formularacers (@formularacers_) December 25, 2023
However, there is a huge chance that Tsunoda will head to Aston Martin soon. From the 2026 season, Honda will be providing Aston Martin with the power units. Given that Yuki Tsunoda has a lot of connections with Honda, he will probably head to Aston Martin to drive with the Honda engine.
This leaves Liam Lawson as the only option for Red Bull’s future. With the proper guidance, Lawson has the potential to become one of the best drivers in F1. We could see him drive alongside Verstappen in the next few years. He could even challenge Max for the Championship.