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Speaking ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, Dr. Helmut Marko talked about Liam Lawson’s future
Liam Lawson ended up being the odd driver out, when AlphaTauri announced their driver lineup for the 2024 campaign. Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo were tapped for full-time seats, while Lawson was given the consolation prize of a reserve role with both Red Bull and AlphaTauri.
It was a “disappointing” bit of news for the rookie driver, who has performed admirably since being pressed into action ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix when Ricciardo suffered a broken bone in practice. Despite having just one practice session ahead of qualifying, Lawson managed to finish in 13th position in the Grand Prix.
To date, that has been his worst finish in F1. He followed that peformance with a P11 at the Italian Grand Prix, and secured his first points in F1 with a P9 at the Singapore Grand Prix. While he just missed out on the points in Suzuka, with another P11 at the Japanese Grand Prix, his early success led some to believe he was ready for a full-time seat.
But he got the disappointing news ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Still, one of those who will have a hand in when he gets that full-time seats believes that time is just around the corner: Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko.
Speaking with Austrian outlet Kleine Zeitung ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, Marko made that bold prediction. “He’s a tough racer and one of the strongest drivers ever in a duel. With the role of reserve driver, he has a big task next year,” said Marko. “He’ll be there by 2025 at the latest. But he’s already in a Formula 1 car anyway.”
Marko also praised what Lawson has done to date.
“Lawson certainly has the potential to be a GP winner, as he has mastered all the tasks so far masterfully and under the most difficult conditions,” added the Red Bull advisor. “He was in the truest sense of the word ‘thrown into the cold rain.’”
That year noted by Marko will certainly draw some eyebrows, as current Red Bull driver Sergio Pérez will see his contract with the team run out at the end of the 2024 season. Pérez has already been a focal point of speculation, with some wondering if he would even keep his seat for next year given the up-and-down nature of his 2023 season.
That has led to the driver himself expressing some frustration with the ongoing speculation. “We saw it with [George] Russell. He crashed from third place [at the Singapore Grand Prix] on the last lap, but you don’t hear anyone talking about it. If something like that happens at Red Bull, you immediately have three hundred media channels on your roof telling you that you have to leave,” said Pérez recently.
“This kind of thing happens often in Formula 1 and that’s how it works in a team environment.”
There is also the fact that Marko recently apologized for some comments regarding Pérez, when the Red Bull advisor attributed his inconsistent performance to his ethnicity. That certainly cannot help the relationship between the two.
And Marko’s recent prediction may stress things even more.
