Why Christian Horner is ‘not quite sure’ on Liam Lawson as Daniel Ricciardo decision looms

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Liam Lawson is hoping to be racing for RB at the next Formula 1 Grand Prix in the United States. He’s been in the desperately frustrating position of watching on from the sidelines this year.

Lawson deputised for an injured Daniel Ricciardo at five races last year and drove well enough to put himself in permanent contention. But Red Bull opted to stick with their Ricciardo/Yuki Tsunoda combination heading into 2024.

The idea, it seemed, was to give the Australian a full season to display his capabilities after he’d replaced Nyck de Vries during the summer. But Ricciardo has failed to live up to Red Bull’s expectations.

Now, according to Martin Brundle and plenty of other F1 paddock figures, Lawson will replace Ricciardo after the Singapore Grand Prix. This will give him the chance to prepare for a full-time debut in 2025.

He will have six races to do so, both triple-headers. Red Bull see the four-week break between Marina Bay and Austin as a viable juncture for change.

There will be news next week, and it seems only a dramatic turnaround can save Ricciardo now. But speaking to Sky Sports F1 on Saturday, Christian Horner did air one concern about Lawson.

Christian Horner doesn’t know if Liam Lawson is as good as Oliver Bearman

Like many of the current F1 drivers, Lawson came through Formula 2. He joined the series in 2021, finishing in ninth place.

The following year, he made a predictable step forward, notching four wins and 10 podiums en route to a top-three finish. He lost out to Felipe Drugovich and Theo Pourchaire in the standings.

With no F1 seats available, Lawson went to race in the Super Formula series in Japan. He would finish as the runner-up behind Ritomo Miyata.

The 22-year-old is yet to convince Horner that he’s in the top tier of young talents, like 2025 Mercedes signing Kimi Antonelli or the Haas-bound Oliver Bearman. He also pointed to Franco Colapinto, who’s won plenty of plaudits since replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams last month.

Horner said: “We’ve got Liam Lawson on the bench. We’re not quite sure, looking at the likes of Colapinto and Bearman and Antonelli, is he at that level? Only time will tell.”

How Liam Lawson reacted to Daniel Ricciardo’s Q1 exit at Singapore Grand Prix

Horner’s comments may led credence to David Croft’s claim that there’s still hope for Ricciardo. Croft believes that Red Bull may simply intend to assess Lawson before deciding between the two drivers for 2025.

If he performs at a higher level, then the decision will be clear-cut. And if he matches the eight-time Grand Prix winner, he’ll likely get the nod too on the basis that he’s 13 years younger and should be able to improve long-term.

Ricciardo hasn’t set an especially high bar. He’s only scored 12 points this year, 10 fewer than Tsunoda, and he trails the qualifying head-to-head 12-6.

Watching on from the garage, Lawson reacted to Ricciardo’s Q1 exit in Singapore. He told an RB colleague that his lap time wouldn’t be good enough to progress, and he was correct.