At the Singapore Grand Prix, Christian Horner said he would “stupid” not to take into account the fact that George Russell’s contract with Mercedes will end in 2025. This remark is part of the rather tense context surrounding the second Red Bull seat, since Sergio Pérez fails to regain his form. in the past, to the point of becoming a hindrance for the team in the constructors’ championship.
Pérez, linked to the Austrian team for another two years, has scored only 41 points in the last 12 Grands Prix, or only 21% of the 195 points scored by his teammate Max Verstappen over the same period. Currently, McLaren has moved to the top of the team standings and already has a comfortable lead over Red Bull.
Although team advisor Helmut Marko praised Russell, he did not share his team principal’s interest, saying the English option was not an option and preferring favor the many young drivers from the Red Bull academy.
“George Russell is on the same level as [Lewis] Hamilton in qualifying, even faster”Marko admitted in an interview with sister publication Formel1.de Motorsport.com. “But Russell is affiliated with Mercedes-Benz and we are now focusing on our juniors.”
The recent performances of rookies Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman have shown that the gamble on youth can pay off: “[Prenons] Colapinto, for example: he was relatively inexperienced and did not have much success in the junior categories, although it must be said that he was never in the best teams, but what incredible performances he is achieving now”, recognizes the Austrian advisor.
“[Colapinto] is undoubtedly a safe bet for the future. What he showed in Baku and Singapore was very, very good. But I only gave this example. We could also cite Bearman, who shows that Formula 2 juniors have the potential to impress in Formula 1.”
“Therefore, unlike in the past, a top team does not necessarily need drivers with already three or five years of experience. And now, let’s see what our juniors or even a Yuki Tsunoda can do. We can also do that. qualify as a junior How will he perform against a. [Liam] Lawson ?”
Liam Lawson will return to the Formula 1 grid at the United States Grand Prix, this time as a full-time driver. Like Williams, Visa Cash App RB made the choice of youth by replacing Daniel Ricciardo for the last six rounds of the 2024 season.
So Red Bull has a rather wide range of options in the event that Sergio Pérez is ousted. Lawson and Tsunoda will face off at the end of the season and the winner will surely be the preferred contender to drive alongside Max Verstappen in the future. Furthermore, Isack Hadjar, 20 years old, second in the Formula 2 championship and Arvid Lindblad, 17 years old, fourth in Formula 3 this year, are also serious future candidates for the future.
With Benjamin Vinel
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