After a chat with Christian Horner, Tom Clarkson said that his “feeling” is that Liam Lawson is not auditioning for a VCARB wheel in 2025, but a Red Bull.
After months of speculation and after surviving a long-awaited driver sacking during the summer break, Red Bull axed Daniel Ricciardo after the Singapore Grand Prix when it was announced he would be replaced by Lawson with immediate effect. The move means the New Zealander, who impressed in his five substitute appearances last season when he replaced Ricciardo after the Australian broke his hand, has six races to audition for a run at the wheel in 2025.
But is it for a VCARB wheel or for Sergio Perez’s seat at Red Bull?
Although the Mexican driver has a contract in place until F1 2025, like Ricciardo, he too has been the subject of many rumours, with Red Bull apparently waiting for a better option before axing him.
Horner admitted that the decision to put Lawson in the car “goes beyond VCARB, it involves Red Bull Racing”. But while he said that Red Bull “appears to have a contract with Sergio for next year”, the team is keeping an eye on “what comes next”. F1 Nation podcast host Clarkson said Lawson’s six races could have been a Red Bull audition. Lawson, who scored two points in his five races last season, returns to the US Grand Prix grid with an engine penalty hanging over his head, with VCARB due to provide a sixth power unit .
Horner confirmed this and insisted that he will take the pressure off Lawson as he lines up near the back of the net, if not at all.
Hill, however, strongly disagrees with this sentiment. “Damon,” asked 1996 world champion Damon Hill, “are you walking away from that conversation with Christian sentiment like this is a six-race audition for Red Bull Racing for Liam Lawson?
“If he impresses in the next six rounds, he’s in Red Bull. Is that what you felt?”
This was not the case. “Tom,” answered Hill, “I don’t know where we stand on who’s going to ride what next year. I thought Checo was here for next year. Wasn’t he? I thought he was. That’s what I have heard here. But correct me if I’m wrong. »
“Horner talked about a smooth re-entry,” said the former F1 driver. “I think that is not the case in F1. When they write where he qualified, it will be very far from where he qualified because of the engine penalty. .