Could Daniel Ricciardo be at risk of losing his Red Bull seat to Liam Lawson? With Red Bull having already locked in their 2025 line-up for the senior team, the spotlight now shifts to their junior team.
Red Bull has confirmed Sergio Perez’s stay until the end of the 2026 season, firmly establishing their senior team line-up with Max Verstappen, who has four more years on his contract. With that set in stone, neither Yuki Tsunoda nor Daniel Ricciardo will be promoted to the senior team in the near future. However, the dilemma doesn’t stop there.
Red Bull is facing a tricky decision about who will occupy the second seat at their junior team. According to Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, Yuki Tsunoda’s position is secure. ‘Yuki Tsunoda is set, that’s clear,’ he stated. This leaves one seat open, and the competitors for it are Daniel Ricciardo and reserve driver Liam Lawson.
Yuki Tsunoda has outshone his teammate Ricciardo in every critical statistic this season, boasting 19 points compared to Ricciardo’s five. Despite rumors and early-season struggles, Ricciardo’s position seemed relatively stable, but things could change as Red Bull deliberates whether to bring in Lawson or stick with Ricciardo. Lawson had an impressive stint filling in for Ricciardo last year, notably finishing ninth at the Singapore Grand Prix, which was the team’s best result at that point in the season.
The issue is further complicated by Lawson’s contract, which includes a clause that allows him to be ‘free’ to join other teams if he’s not offered an active seat for the next year. ‘He is there at every race and we are in close contact,’ Marko mentioned about Lawson. The Red Bull management, including Marko and team boss Christian Horner, now face the tough call of whether losing Ricciardo is worth the risk of letting Lawson go, or vice versa.
Red Bull now finds itself in a challenging position, having to make a critical decision that could shape their team’s future for years to come. They must weigh the consistent performance of Yuki Tsunoda, the experience of Daniel Ricciardo, and the untapped potential of Liam Lawson. This decision will not only affect the drivers but also the competitive edge of the team in the upcoming seasons.
Source: Planetf1
