Christian Horner said something ‘bewildering’ about Liam Lawson before United States Grand Prix return

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Liam Lawson will be back on the Formula 1 grid when the season resumes after its autumn break at the United States Grand Prix. Lawson has replaced Daniel Ricciardo at RB for the final six rounds of 2024.

He already has five races of F1 experience, having stood in for an injured Ricciardo a year ago. But Karun Chandhok says Lawson faces a ‘massive’ challenge in Austin.

He’ll only have one hour of running in free practice before going straight to Sprint qualifying. And he also carries a 10-place grid penalty into the event.

Lawson inherits Ricciardo’s allocation of power unit components, and RB have had to exceed the limit. That may reduce the pressure on the 22-year-old for his first race, with the team forced to lower their expectations.

But while there are three Sprints between now and Abu Dhabi, it remains a short window for Lawson to impress. He knows his 2025 prospects, and potentially his Formula 1 career role, hinge on his performances in the next couple of months.

What’s more, it’s unclear what kind of reception he’ll face. Ricciardo was particularly popular in the USA, which could create a difficult atmosphere for the team.

Alex Jacques can’t get his head around Liam Lawson’s 2025 Red Bull audition

Speaking on the Formula For Success podcast, F1 commentator Alex Jacques reflected on a recent Christian Horner interview. Horner confirmed that Lawson was in the running for a 2025 Red Bull seat.

Jacques feels it’s remarkable that his future is so open-ended, particularly at this stage of the driver market. He could also miss out on a drive altogether if he falls short of expectations.

Indeed, Red Bull may call upon Isack Hadjar, the academy driver who’s competing for the F2 title, to partner Yuki Tsunoda. Helmut Marko is also an admirer of Franco Colapinto, who won’t be able to race for Williams next year.

“It’s really intriguing,” Jacques said. “I was also really interested to hear Christian Horner’s comments that it’s part of a wider, not audition, but there’s an opportunity for him to put himself, not just in the discussion for a V-CARB or RB seat, but the actual senior team as well.

“And this is Christian Horner on the record. This isn’t any insider goss. This was on the record, public comments, to Formula One, saying it’s part of a wider picture. So, he’s got this strange thing, DC, where he’s got six Grand Prix. He’s worked for this his entire life.

“And now he’s in this situation where he might get himself a contract at RB. He might get himself a contract at Red Bull, at which point you’ve got to be Max Verstappen’s teammate. I mean, it’s a bizarre thing.

“In seven races time, Melbourne next year, he could be not on the grid at all in a V-CARB or in a Red Bull. And that is bewildering stuff.”

Sergio Perez ignored F1 driver ‘advice’ with viral post about his future

Sergio Perez may still be in control of his future. If he can deliver his Azerbaijan GP form over the remaining races, he should be safe.

But based on the evidence either side, it looks like Perez is simply a specialist at that circuit who benefitted from Verstappen’s balance woes. In that sense, there’s limited cause for optimism.

There was a rumour in the F1 paddock that the Mexican would announce his retirement at his home race, which comes immediately after Austin. Red Bull would effectively make the decision for him but allow him to break the news.

But Perez issued a defiant message on social media, seemingly a direct response to the speculation. He ignored the advice usually given to F1 drivers, which is to stay silent on your future unless it’s time for an official update.