Sauber Awaits Red Bull's Move on Liam Lawson for 2025?
Sep.5 - Even with an almost fully subscribed grid of drivers already signed up for 2025, the 'silly season' is still rumbling along.
On the face of it, the only real vacancy is at Audi-owned Sauber, who so far have struggled to attract a truly top driver to pair with Nico Hulkenberg from next year.
Last weekend at Monza, new Audi F1 chief Mattia Binotto said the Swiss-German based collaboration is considering an experienced driver or a youngster.
He made special mention of rookies Theo Pourchaire, already a Sauber reserve driver and the reigning Formula 2 champion, who has appeared in the Indycar series in 2024, and current F2 frontrunner Gabriel Bortoleto.
Pourchaire, 21, was at Monza for the Italian GP.
"Some people say I won the championship in my third year, and that may not sound great," said the Frenchman. "But people have to remember that I won the title at 20. I was the youngest race winner in both Formula 2 and Formula 3.
"I just need a chance, that's all," Pourchaire added. "This sport means everything to me. I just need a seat and a steering wheel."
According to veteran F1 journalist Roger Benoit, the "only reasonable explanation" why Sauber is waiting so long to sign a second driver is because it is waiting for Red Bull.
He wrote in Blick newspaper that the energy drink company now has only "ten days" left before Red Bull's option to extend Liam Lawson's contract into 2025 expires.
Lawson tested both the Red Bull Racing and RB cars at Monza this week for Pirelli's 2025 tyre testing, amid uncertainty about whether Red Bull will place him in one of the brand's four cockpits next year, or offer him on loan.
Dr Helmut Marko, however, recently played down the likelihood of a loan to Audi, with Benoit agreeing that Daniel Ricciardo being retained at RB beyond 2024 is "rather unlikely".
"I'm sure I'll finish the rest of the season," the Australian driver insisted at Monza.
As for 2025, he is not so sure. "It doesn't matter what's being said," 35-year-old Ricciardo said. "What matters is what my hands and feet are doing in the cockpit.
"I don't feel any extra pressure," he added. "I have never been taken aside or anything like that. I know what needs to be improved, but I have known Helmut for a long time. I know this system. Maybe that is why there have been no hard conversations.
"I know better than anyone what can be improved. Probably what's now getting into the press are quotes taken out of context, but I don't feel any additional pressure from Helmut or from within the team."
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Lawson would only race in Audi-Sauber next year if the scenario of Red Bull not providing him a race drive in either of their teams within the relevant timeframe occurred, in which case he'd become a free agent anyway.
However, Red Bull should simply replace Ricciardo with him, which is a logical move that should've already been done for this season.
Additionally, if they want to keep Ricciardo, they could replace Checo with him after the season.
LL could be fine at Audi , lots of resources, a 2-3 yr contract, and then if they are getting there stay,if not hed still have a good range of teams willing to sign even Rb after hes been to Audi,but i think the same,byebye colgate,and hello LL-coolj.
I believe Liam will be going into RedBull along side Max in 2025. Checo will be told bye or demoted to RB. Daniel is out. Yuki leader of RB drivers along side a junior on the rise if Checo leaves (most likely).
I think the deals have already been done. The only thing that saved Checo was the fact that the US , Mexico , Las Vegas are still to come and the Disney Latin America doco series about Checo running along side those races.If I had Liam under contract and I wasn't going to use him I would renew his contract and lend him out. That way you are getting money from another team keeping cost down and have a stick to wave at your other drivers. Dr H said they wouldn't lend him so he is going into a seat possibly this year if needed.
I wasn't aware of any such documentary series, but I can't see Liam getting promoted to the main team after only five GPs in the B-team.
Simply unnecessarily risky with such limited F1 racing experience, so realistically, only Daniel, if anyone, would replace Checo even after the season, & once can't see for certain about him that he'd be an improvement on Checo, so I think Checo is safe, especially as Red Bull is clearly unwilling to promote Yuki, most likely because the Honda PU supply will end after next season, meaning Yuki will/would most likely leave in the process.
Therefore, Daniel getting replaced by Liam is the only scenario I can realistically see happening for next season among the Red Bull teams.
Checo would, of course, get sacked altogether if Liam (or Yuki, for that matter) got promoted & Isack Hadjar promoted to the B-team, especially as Ayumu Iwasa is essentially in the same situation as Yuki, so he'll most likely continue in SF, with Hadjar a shared reserve driver without any racing program if he wins the F2 championship, or possibly even if he doesn't, in which case he could also continue there.
I was supposed to type 'one can't say for certain' lol.
Jesus , very complicated the above two posts, I think if you add into the mix , the sun is actually shining here today, it would even more complicated
I agree that even my post is at least somewhat complicated.
Shroppy, I think you are exaggerating! It's not really the sun you see, it's a street light shining through the noon-day mist! Reality check needed!
Damn the government sunshine even fake sunshine now, headline in todays Daily mail Immigrants make the sun shine