Lawson and Hadjar Lead Red Bull’s Bold Junior Driver Shakeup
Dec.6 - Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar are both set for big promotions within Red Bull's F1 family for 2025.
Despite repeating the word "contract" no fewer than five times in his meeting with reporters on Thursday, most now expect Sergio Perez to be ousted after Sunday's Abu Dhabi GP.
The Mexican's father Antonio Perez Garibay is also still insisting his son will be Max Verstappen's teammate next year - but he is also furious with journalists who he thinks have been ramping up the speculation.
According to Bild newspaper, Perez senior is threatening to publish a "list of lying journalists" on Monday morning after the 2024 season finale.
To Yuki Tsunoda's dismay, it is RB newcomer Lawson who is clearly in pole position to replace Perez in 2025. "Honestly I have no idea," the young New Zealander said in the Abu Dhabi paddock.
"I hope to find out soon and I hope they don't drag it out for too long. It would be pretty frustrating to not know anything by next week. I don't know if I have a seat at all," the 22-year-old revealed.
One of Red Bull's biggest decision-makers, however - Dr Helmut Marko - clearly puts Lawson at the very top of the list. "Liam Lawson has done much better than (Franco) Colapinto," he told the Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung.
"Somehow that seems to go unnoticed."
Lawson stepping up to the senior team will leave a vacancy alongside Tsunoda at the junior outfit RB - and Marko's clear pick for that seat is F2 frontrunner Isack Hadjar.
"Hadjar is only half a point behind the leader in Formula 2," Marko, 81, told the same newspaper. "So there will be a lot of juniors driving in Formula 1 next year.
"Oliver Bearman, Kimi Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto - there will be a huge number of juniors, which is very good," the Austrian added.
Marko also has a F1 career in the making for a 17-year-old - Arvid Lindblad. Just days ago, rumours swirled that Red Bull is setting up a program to give the British-born Swedish driver experience next year in a 2023 Red Bull under the so-called 'TPC' testing rules.
"He is definitely our greatest (new) talent," Marko said, referring to Lindblad. "He is definitely the one who is pushing himself from the back to the front of the queue with his performances."
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