Helmut Marko confirms ‘candidate’ being considered to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull

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The United States Grand Prix will be where RB driver Liam Lawson makes his second debut in Formula 1.

Liam Lawson has had to patiently wait for his chance after getting a taste of racing in F1 with AlphaTauri in 2023.

He deputised for the injured Daniel Ricciardo but this time around he’s been handed the Australian’s seat knowing he won’t be returning before the end of the year.

There’s even more pressure on Lawson knowing he’s heading to one of the circuits where Ricciardo had the most fans straight away.

Ricciardo was set to be honoured in Austin before being dropped by the Red Bull group ahead of the final six races of the season.

Lawson is potentially being lined up to replace Sergio Perez in 2025 with the Mexican struggling to live up to expectations.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname

Red Bull look set to miss out on the Constructors’ Championship and with Max Verstappen leading the way in the driver’s standings, the finger is only being pointed at one man.

Chief advisor Helmut Marko has now spoken to F1 Insider about the situation and admitted that Lawson isn’t the only driver under consideration.

It appears as though Yuki Tsunoda is going to be in a straight shootout with Lawson to potentially the place Perez going into next year.

The 24-year-old is much more experienced than his new teammate and is having a terrific season.

He’s already seen off Ricciardo and will be confident he can get the better of his Kiwi.

Helmut Marko confirms Yuki Tsunoda is a ‘candidate’ to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull

Tsunoda has previously been asked this season if he’s ready to step up to Red Bull and was in no doubt that if the opportunity arise, he can cope with the pressure.

READ MORE: Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents

Reflecting on the situation, Marko said: “Tsunoda is a candidate to drive alongside Max in 2025. The remaining races of this season will decide what our driver pairings will look like for next year.

“We decided to compare Lawson and Tsunoda. They have the same material, the same conditions and each now has six races to prove that he is the better one.”

Tsunoda has yet to secure a podium finish during his Formula 1 career but earned a new contract at the Canadian Grand Prix for next year.

That’s because other teams on the grid were looking to make a move for Tsunoda and now Red Bull are finally considering the Japanese driver.

Nico Rosberg explains why he doesn’t think Yuki Tsunoda was in Red Bull’s plans

At the start of the season, it was clear that Christian Horner’s preferred candidate to replace Perez was Ricciardo rather than Tsunoda.

There was no other reason to bring the Australian back, particularly to take up a spot at a team designed to develop young drivers.

However, Tsunoda has successfully survived the challenge of going up against Ricciardo.

Nico Rosberg recently explained why he thinks Red Bull have been overlooking Tsunoda. However, Marko’s comments suggest that the team realise they may have to give him his chance if Perez can’t up his game.

Horner has high hopes for another young driver in Red Bull’s academy, while Isack Hadjar may be hoping that Perez is dropped so that he can race in F1 next year.

The future is bright for Red Bull, and they’ve once again created another healthy layer of competition to get the most out of their drivers.