RB tells Lawson he still needs to earn a 2025 seat

Liam Lawson says he has been told he must emulate Yuki Tsunoda to secure a full-time spot in Formula 1 in 2025.

Red Bull made the decision to drop Daniel Ricciardo for the remainder of this season and replace him with Lawson at RB, with the New Zealander making his first start of the year at the United States Grand Prix this weekend. Lawson says the commitment only applies to the remaining six races so far, and he still has to earn the spot alongside Tsunoda next season.

“It’s pretty simple,” Lawson told RACER. “The kind of goal that was set is to actually perform in the seat. They obviously want me to match Yuki, and that will give me the best chance of getting a spot next year, but that is always being evaluated.

“They could even say you’re going to race next year, but if I don’t do well next year then obviously they won’t put me in the car. And it will always remain that way.”

Lawson impressed in five races last year, replacing the injured Ricciardo, and he feels no added pressure from the increased expectations following those outings.

“It’s definitely not how I look at it,” he said. “Even if you are an experienced driver, even if you have had a great season, when you go into a new season – even a new race weekend – we are all very short-sighted in this area. And if you have a great race weekend, that’s fine, but basically next time you start over and we’re always evaluated.

“It will always remain that way, regardless of whether it is my first six races, or whether I have already completed five seasons and am entering a new season. If you don’t do well, you will be judged – especially by the team – on your performance.

“It’s the same as last year. The only difference is that at least I know I’m getting the six. Last year I didn’t know how many I was going to do. But it’s all based on performance, and it always will be. So I think the sooner I realize and accept that, the better off I’ll be.

While Lawson is clearly the frontrunner for a full-time seat in 2025 – team boss Christian Horner even hinted he could be in line for a Red Bull drive if necessary – there are also options in the Red Bull junior ranks moving up to F1 , with Isack Hadjar the most likely alternative. The French driver currently sits second in the Formula 2 standings, 4.5 points off the lead, and has already made three FP1 appearances.