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In what is bad news for Sergio Perez, Helmut Marko has shared his preference on who he would want as Max Verstappen's teammate at Red Bull in 2025. According to the Austrian, it is going to be someone from the academy. Much has been made about the fact that Daniel Ricciardo was fired midway through the season and replaced by Liam Lawson for the last six races.
There has been a lack of clarity over why that call was made, and as it turns out, the call was made to see how good Lawson is compared to Yuki Tsunoda. Lawson did a handful of races in 2023 and impressed. In 2024, it does appear that the last six races could be an audition for a seat alongside Verstappen on the senior team.
Ricciardo was brought back by Red Bull last season with the aim of evaluating whether the Australian could potentially be promoted and placed alongside Verstappen at Red Bull. With Ricciardo unable to persuade the brand with his performances, it does appear that Marko and Christian Horner are looking for options as Perez continues to disappoint.
Talking to ORF, Red Bull's Helmut Marko was questioned on who'd be a preference to partner Max Verstappen next season to which the advisor revealed that it was going to be someone from the academy. He said:
"Ideally with someone from our junior program [next to him]. Youth is the trend again. What we used to do, is now being done by Mercedes with Antonelli, Haas with Bearman, and I also hope that [Franco] Colapinto will end up somewhere. He was thrown in at the deep end [by Williams] and has delivered three great races.”
Talking about why Red Bull decided to put Lawson in RB, Marko said that the call was made to find out who was the fastest out of the two. He said:
“I don’t know in how many races he [Lawson] was faster than Yuki, but that’s why we decided that now is the time to make a comparison with Yuki. Who of the two is the fastest?”
Marko says Max Verstappen stays in F1 until he is enjoying it
Marko said that Max Verstappen would continue to be in F1 until he's enjoying it. He would not be someone like Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso who would continue to race in their 40s. It is worth noting that Hamilton will continue racing into his 40s with his next contract, making it a certainty.
At the same time, Fernando Alonso is already in his 40s and has a multi-year extension with Aston Martin. He said:
"Max is not like Alonso and Hamilton. They will continue racing as long as they are physically competitive. He wants to win, but whether that is with four, five or six World titles is not his main focus. He wants to enjoy the sport, just like the rest of his life. He wants to work in an environment where he feels comfortable.”
Max Verstappen does have a contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 F1 season. However, rumored performance clauses could propel him into a situation where he could leave if things don't seem to be working.
