In difficulty since the start of the season, Sergio Perez is still not guaranteed to keep his seat at Red Bull for next season. His results in Austin at the end of October will be decisive and a new poor performance could open the door for one of the three drivers that we present to you.
The summer has passed, but Sergio Perez is still under pressure at Red Bull. The Mexican is having a difficult season, only 8th in the F1 driver rankingsand several times seemed on the verge of being ousted, but he managed to resist the summer break and will be at the start of the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin (USA) at the end of October.
However, even though Sergio Perez has weathered several storms and has extended his contract until 2026nothing assures him that he will still be on the grid in 2025. An idea first reinforced by the declarations of Christian Horner then of Helmut Marko, who fixed the Austin GP, where Red Bull will make changes to his single-seater, as a revealer for the future.
“We will see how he reacts to the developments in Austin. If the car is calm and it helps him like he says, he won’t have to worry. Otherwise we will have to think about our options for 2025 with our young drivers”assured the Austrian. Enough to reopen the door to the departure of Sergio Perez, potentially to make way for someone younger to support Max Verstappen.
Liam Lawson, natural successor
Everything suggests that if Red Bull separated from Sergio Perez, the seat would be given to Liam Lawson. In the bosom of the team for several years, the New Zealander recently replaced Daniel Ricciardo at Racing Bullswith a view to testing it on several Grands Prix and secure your future.
His arrival at Red Bull’s little sister demonstrates the confidence the team has in the driver’s future. Christian Horner even explained a few days ago that he would be auditioned for both the Racing Bulls seat and that of Red Bull with a view to 2025, if Sergio Perez was ousted. It now remains to convince for Liam Lawson, who has six Grands Prix remaining to show his talent.
Yuki Tsunoda, the gap-stopper?
Given his performances in 2024, Yuki Tsunoda should be THE natural candidate to inherit the Red Bull seat in the event of Sergio Perez’s departure. The Japanese scored 22 points in 18 Grands Prix, finishing in the points seven times. Above all, it seems to have taken on a new dimension and is more serene on the track since the departure of Pierre Gasly to Alpine.
However, it seems quite unlikely to see Yuki Tsunoda promoted to Red Bull. Extended at Racing Bulls for the 2025 seasonhe seems to be seen as a stopgap, useful to the team but who does not deserve to be Max Verstappen’s teammate.
For him to drive within the main team, it would be necessary for Sergio Perez to be ousted, but also for Liam Lawson to miss the end of the season to the point that Red Bull decides to leave him for an additional year with Racing Bulls, thus leading to the promotion of Japanese for a short transitional season.
Isack Hadjar, promotion express
At only 20 years old, Isack Hadjar is already applying for a place in Formula 1. Very successful in F2, where he won four races and is still able to become world champion, the Frenchman has the qualities to move up a level in the very short term.
The only problem for him is his total inexperience in Formula 1 to date. If Liam Lawson’s tenure at Racing Bulls promoted him to reserve driver at Red Bull, he has never driven at this level. His ability to win long races and be fast in qualifying solidifies his candidacy, but it would be necessary to prove that these qualities are transferable to F1.
His talent is an argument, as is Helmut Marko’s unwavering support, but he seems more set to join Racing Bulls in the near future. Unless Red Bull decides to make him take the plunge by immediately betting on him.
The words “Minnesota Miracle” and “No-Call” are erased from my vocabulary. My heart mourns the retirement of Drew Brees.
