Liam Lawson told he is in a ‘perfect’ scenario in his bid to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull

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Liam Lawson is not looking to waste time in Formula 1 as he sets his sights on a seat with the main Red Bull team in 2025.

The Kiwi driver has been given another chance by the team at the pinnacle of motorsport for the final six races of the season with Visa Cash App RB, after they opted to sack Daniel Ricciardo following the Singapore Grand Prix.

In his three races so far, Lawson has scored points twice, both being ninth place finishes at the United States Grand Prix and last time out in Sao Paulo. The 22-year-old reached the final part of qualifying for both the Sprint and Sunday’s race in Brazil.

His performances since returning to F1 will no doubt be bad news for Sergio Perez, with the Mexican facing increasing pressure to keep his seat with Red Bull next season. The team offered him an extension of his contract until the end of 2025 in the hope that he would revive his form, but it has been the exact opposite.

Perez has failed to finish in the top five since the Miami Grand Prix as he sits eighth in the drivers’ standings, almost 150 points behind his teammate Max Verstappen. Recently, the 34-year-old has found himself battling Lawson in the RB on track.

The two drivers came to blows in Mexico City, with Lawson giving Perez a middle-finger gesture as he overtook him down the main straight. While his performances have been impressive, these actions will not win over Red Bull, with commentator Harry Benjamin saying Lawson may have endangered his chances with Red Bull by being overly ‘punchy.’

Liam Lawson is ‘trying to prove Red Bull’ he is the main to replace Sergio Perez next season

Lawson has beaten Perez in the last two races, with the latter finishing outside the points in both Grand Prix while the former scored points in Brazil. Lawson ‘ridiculed’ Perez for his driving in Sao Paulo over the radio as he looks to take his seat for next season.

It has been said that Red Bull can fire Perez, with rumours that it could happen even before the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The team are notoriously a cut-throat team that make brutal decisions mid-season, as evidenced by Ricciardo this season.

Speaking on ESPN F1 Unlapped, Lawrence Edmondson believes Lawson is in the ‘perfect’ scenario at Red Bull as he is currently outperforming the driver he is looking to replace, with Perez continuing to do ‘such a bad job’ in a car that Verstappen will win his fourth world title in.

“I mean, undoubtedly, Perez is under a lot of pressure and remarkably has found himself on track fighting against Liam Lawson at the last two races,” he said.

“I mean, it’s a perfect scenario for Liam. He’s there trying to prove to Red Bull ‘look, I’m the guy you want to replace Perez, I can get the job done’ and Perez is doing such a bad job that a car that, in Max’s hands, is a second faster than everyone else, in Checo’s hands, is racing against RB’s.”

Can Liam Lawson replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull?

Perez has significantly held Red Bull back in the Constructors’ Championship, as the team find themselves third behind McLaren and Ferrari – 49 points behind the latter who lead the standings. If the Milton Keynes-based outfit are to get back on top, it will be worth assessing their options for 2025.

Lawson seems to be the favourite to take the seat if Red Bull do choose to axe Perez, but his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is also an option. The Japanese driver has been with the junior setup for four seasons and largely outperformed Ricciardo for most of the year.

Franco Colapinto has emerged as a potential candidate for the seat with his impressive performances at Williams this season. Red Bull have reportedly offered Williams £15.5 million for Colapinto as Christian Horner confirmed his interest in the Argentine in Sao Paulo.

Colapinto’s manager says he has not ‘categorically’ signed anything yet after he was snubbed of the Sauber seat by Gabriel Bortoleto. It is likely that the 21-year-old chances of joining Red Bull will depend on whether Perez is sacked, which would open a door at both the main team and RB next year, with one of the latter’s drivers expected to be promoted.