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The Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App RB driver dilemma for 2025 is still yet to be solved.
As Daniel Ricciardo’s exit after the Singapore Grand Prix proved, just because a driver has a contract to race up to a certain point, it doesn’t mean that Red Bull will necessarily give them that time.
Max Verstappen is the only Red Bull-contracted driver who is on a long-term deal, although Jeroen Bleekemolen has predicted that Verstappen could leave next year if things don’t improve on the track.
Yuki Tsunoda continues to be offered new one-year deals with RB despite not appearing to have any prospect of earning a promotion to the senior team.
Sergio Perez is the man whose seat appears to be most at risk despite Red Bull handing him a new deal during a period of poor form during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
The Mexican is a long way off Verstappen’s level and that looks set to lose Red Bull the Constructors’ Championship this year.
Journalist Sam Coop was speaking on the RacingNews365 Podcast about what could happen if Red Bull decide to replace Perez.
Lawson’s RB stint this year could be an audition for Perez’s seat and Red Bull are keen not to completely cut ties with Ricciardo at this stage in case they need another driver.
However, Coop believes that if Perez is moved on and Lawson earns a promotion then F2 championship hopeful Isack Hadjar is likely to be promoted into the RB seat.
Hadjar is a very impressive young driver and he will be hoping he doesn’t need to be quite as patient as Lawson to earn a place on the Formula 1 grid.
Isack Hadjar could earn RB promotion if Liam Lawson replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull
Talking about the precarious position Perez is in, Coop said: “We’ve got Liam Lawson, who’s going to come in and if he does well, your seat’s at risk.
“At the least, he’s going to be, in my view, he’ll be in that RB next year and then if you don’t perform, we’ll put Liam alongside Max.
“We’ve got Isack Hadjar, waiting in the wings. Christian Horner himself has said, look, we’ve got a known quantity in Daniel Ricciardo, almost slightly leaving that door ajar that if needs be, they’ll put Daniel back in the RB as a stopgap.
“I don’t think they will, they’ve got Isack Hadjar are and he has proven [himself] very well this season in F2.
READ MORE: Red Bull already lining up Yuki Tsunoda replacement after axing Daniel Ricciardo from RB
“But I think what they’re kind of saying to Sergio is, look, just because Daniel’s gone, it doesn’t now mean that you’re safe and that Liam’s in that RB seat because again, Sergio has never really shown much interest in being swapped into the RB seat and not have Red Bull shown the interest in doing that.
“I think that’s where some of those retirement rumours and that speculation has gained momentum is that it feels Red Bull or nothing for Sergio.”
Coop also believes that if Lawson can’t usurp Perez at Red Bull, then Hadjar is likely to be the Red Bull’s reserve driver next year.
How Isack Hadjar’s first practice session with RB went at the British Grand Prix
Hadjar is a name that fans of Formula 2 will be very familiar with having led the championship for much of the season.
However, back-to-back pointless weekends have seen him leapfrogged by Sauber hopeful and McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto.
Hadjar was handed an FP1 outing with RB at Silverstone; however, it didn’t go as well as he would have liked.
Several youngsters were awarded opportunities to impress that day and it was Franco Colapinto who stood out for Williams.
It’s yet to be seen whether Hadjar’s hour in the car that day has impacted his chances of being promoted into a permanent RB seat in 2025.
However, with Ricciardo unlikely to return to Formula 1 now, if Lawson does do enough to replace Perez, when unless Red Bull make a daring play to hire Colapinto, Hadjar appears to be their best bet.
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