Dr. Helmut Marko has backtracked after initially asserting that Liam Lawson will "definitely" be driving a Red Bull-branded Formula 1 car in 2025.
When questioned about Marko's remarks at Zandvoort, team boss Christian Horner responded, "I asked Helmut about it and he said Liam will have a seat in F1. But it could be somewhere else. There is nothing set in stone."
If Red Bull is unable to secure a spot for the 22-year-old reserve driver Lawson in 2025, he will be at liberty to join other teams, such as Audi-Sauber.
Red Bull's F1 advisor Marko also revised his previous statements on Lawson when prompted on Friday.
"I think I said that he will be in a Formula 1 car next year," he communicated to Viaplay. "It is known that we have an option on him, but only if we can guarantee him a seat in Formula 1. We will decide in September what exactly we are going to do."
Regarding whether Lawson might find himself in a RB, a Red Bull Racing, or perhaps an Audi-owned Sauber, Marko stated, "I can tell you around mid-September."
On the track at Zandvoort, Max Verstappen expressed concerns about his championship-leading car being "a bit too slow in the short run and a bit too slow in the long run. It's where we've been in the last few races, so it's not really a surprise," added the Red Bull racer.
However, Marko is optimistic that the three tenths deficit they face can be overcome. "Max doesn't like the car yet, but I think that if we have another dry session, we can solve a number of the small problems," he suggested.
Marko also relayed to the Kleine Zeitung newspaper, "We are not in danger in the drivers' world championship unless everything goes wrong. The constructors' championship will be more difficult, so we have to hope that Sergio (Perez)'s consistency returns."
