Liam Lawson finally has good reason to feel secure, as Red Bull's F1 advisor Dr Helmut Marko has confirmed excellent news for the young New Zealander.
"He will definitely be in one of our cars next year," the 81-year-old confirmed before the Dutch GP to Kleine Zeitung newspaper.
This promising development for 22-year-old Lawson might spell trouble for the older current driver at Red Bull's secondary team RB - Daniel Ricciardo.
"We saw last year what Liam is capable of when he replaced me after I broke my hand," the Australian mentioned at Zandvoort. "He deserves a place on the Formula 1 grid."
"If that works out, I'll be happy for him. It's up to me to put in a good performance and secure a place for 2025. If I don't, then so be it - that's fine with me."
For now, Ricciardo is focusing on delivering stronger performances to maintain his position within the Red Bull family, asserting, "I'm sure they'll find a place for me somewhere" if he manages to impress.
There might even be a chance at the premier team, Red Bull Racing, although Sergio Perez recently dismissed much of the gossip about his future as "pure speculation."
The Mexican officially remains under contract for both 2025 and 2026, yet Marko has reservations about looking too far ahead. "If Checo can consistently bring back his normal speed, we'll be happy," he stated.
"But he always has these fluctuations somewhere, whether in qualifying or a certain part of the race. The consistency is not there, that's the problem," Marko elaborated.
And if Perez fails to enhance his performance? "Let's take a look at what happens now first," Marko suggested.
Yuki Tsunoda is already secured with RB for 2025 and has not been significantly linked with a promotion to the main team - although Red Bull contracts are known for their flexibility.
"I mean, there's a lot of speculation," the Japanese driver noted at Zandvoort. "But the things I'll do are the same and it's not in my control anyway. So I'll try my best and focus on what I can do."
