Red Bull has chosen. Liam Lawson will be Max Verstappen’s new teammate starting from the 2025 season, ending Sergio Perez’s contract a year early. The news, now official, closes a long period of speculation and reflection within the Milton Keynes team, which has decided to focus on the young New Zealand talent, bypassing Yuki Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto in the hierarchy.
Perez says goodbye after four years at Red Bull
Sergio Perez left Red Bull yesterday after four seasons of ups and downs. Arriving in 2021 to support Verstappen in winning the title, the Mexican has experienced a fluctuating path: protagonist in the fight for Max’s first championship, but increasingly in difficulty in the last two seasons. Despite the contract renewal signed at the beginning of 2024 until 2026, Perez failed to meet the team’s expectations, accumulating disappointing results and contributing to the loss of the Constructors’ title, contested until the last race between McLaren and Ferrari.
Christian Horner has always publicly defended the Mexican driver, recalling his contribution in key moments for the team, but admitted that the decision to extend the contract prematurely “did not work as expected”. Now, with Perez’s future away from Milton Keynes, a new era dawns for Red Bull.
Lawson beats Tsunoda and Colapinto for the Red Bull seat
Liam Lawson’s promotion marks an important moment for the Red Bull youth programme. Although Yuki Tsunoda has shown solidity and consistency in recent seasons, and Franco Colapinto has attracted attention with his potential, Lawson had long been the favorite within the team.
A surprise debutant in 2024 replacing Ricciardo, Lawson impressed with convincing performances, including points finishes at COTA and Interlagos. Although he has shown room for improvement, as highlighted by the incident with Bottas in Qatar, the New Zealander has earned the trust of the team thanks to his ability to adapt quickly and his aggressive mentality on the track.
Yuki Tsunoda, on the other hand, is paying for a political situation linked to his main sponsor, Honda, which will no longer be linked to Red Bull starting from 2026. Despite superior results to his teammates in the VCARB team and great consistency, the Japanese seems destined to stay in the satellite team for one more season.
An uncertain future for Perez and a challenge for Lawson
For Perez, the future remains an unknown. Rumors suggest the possibility of a Red Bull ambassador role, similar to that held by David Coulthard, but it remains to be seen whether the Mexican driver will accept this solution or opt for new challenges on the track.
For Lawson, however, the doors of a titanic challenge open: alongside Max Verstappen and competing against the best drivers in the world in a transition phase for Red Bull, which will have to work to recover the ground lost in 2024. The pressure will be very high , but the New Zealander seems ready to seize this unique opportunity.
2025 therefore promises to be a crucial season for Red Bull, which will focus on a new pair of drivers to return to the top and recover the Constructors’ title, which it missed out on this year after a long hegemony.
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