What Red Bull have just done that shows they’re now favouring Liam Lawson over Sergio Perez

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The battle to drive for Red Bull Racing next season is set to go down to the wire with Sergio Perez and Liam Lawson both hoping to be Max Verstappen’s teammate next season.

The Mexico City Grand Prix was the latest battleground for Sergio Perez and Liam Lawson to prove to Red Bull’s chiefs that they deserve to be in the coveted seat in 2025.

Max Verstappen has proved that the RB20 is potentially a championship-winning car even if he’s now gone 10 Grand Prix without standing on the top step of the podium discounting Sprint Races.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

However, Perez has struggled in comparison and can’t even secure a top-five finish for Red Bull right now and a Q1 exit ended his chances of having a positive home Grand Prix.

The Mexican driver starting on the front row at Spa and then finishing last out of the drivers from the top four teams – after George Russell’s disqualification – highlights just how little confidence he has in the car.

Perez is still confident in his abilities as his comments in Mexico proved, even if his fans aren’t as convinced.

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

However, he was absolutely furious with Lawson’s conduct in Mexico as they fought on the track.

Lawson made his feelings about Perez clear on the track but later apologised for his actions on the track.

Journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm was speaking on The Race Podcast about the incident and believes Red Bull’s actions – or lack of them – suggest they’re starting to favour Lawson over Perez.

Red Bull ‘effectively’ taking Liam Lawson’s side over Sergio Perez at the Mexican Grand Prix

During the race, Perez and Lawson went wheel-to-wheel through turns four and five, with each driver forcing the other off the track at one point.

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Perez sustained damage to his Red Bull as a result, although Damon Hill and Martin Brundle disagreed on whether Lawson should have been penalised.

The Mexican was upset with Lawson and made his feelings clear on the team radio, but talking about the incident, Mitchell-Malm said: “Obviously quite contentiously for Red Bull or the Red Bull camp [Perez] had the clash with Lawson mid-race as well, which Perez was incensed by.

“But the stewards didn’t take any action over it and Red Bull didn’t seem particularly bothered by it either, which I think was quite telling. This weekend, I think has been really bad for Perez comes at a terrible, terrible time.

“But he’s just lost out on track and now off it hasn’t he? It’s bad enough to be that slow but to have such a bad result at your home Grand Prix, to clash with Lawson the way he has.

“And then for Red Bull to effectively side with Lawson by not taking Perez’s side, they’ve indirectly taken Lawson’s side. He lost out on all counts this weekend.”

Martin Brundle shares Liam Lawson’s ‘most likely’ 2025 F1 team

Lawson is undoubtedly very fast and is well aware of what he needs to prove between now and Abu Dhabi.

He doesn’t technically have a contract for 2025 at either Red Bull-backed team which gives Christian Horner flexibility but also means the Kiwi is under pressure to prove himself.

Martin Brundle believes Lawson is ‘most likely’ to replace Perez next year, but where that leaves Perez is yet to be seen.

Unless Perez convinced his old team Sauber to take him on, he won’t be racing in Formula 1 next season if he loses his Red Bull seat.

Considering how poor their car is right now, he might explore other opportunities rather than stay on the grid as a backmarker if his contract is cancelled.