Liam Lawson has expressed his readiness to step into the shoes of Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull’s junior team, emphasizing that Ricciardo is now under pressure to perform after a lackluster start to the F1 2024 season.
With aspirations of taking over Sergio Perez’s spot at Red Bull for the 2025 season, Ricciardo’s ambitions have been dampened by disappointing performances in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Ricciardo’s troubles were highlighted in Saudi Arabia where he was convincingly outperformed by his RB teammate Yuki Tsunoda in qualifying. During the race, Ricciardo faced further setbacks with a disastrous 41-second pit stop and a subsequent spin at Turn 1, ultimately finishing in 16th place.
Following the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko issued a clear warning to the 34-year-old, stating that Ricciardo “has to come up with something soon.”
Although Red Bull reserve driver Lawson showcased his abilities during a five-race stint when Ricciardo was sidelined with a broken hand after the 2023 summer break, he was unable to secure a spot in the team’s plans for 2024.
Looking ahead to Ricciardo’s home race in Melbourne, Lawson asserted his readiness to step in if Ricciardo continues to face challenges.
When questioned by Fox Sports about his preparedness to replace Ricciardo, Lawson confidently responded, “Absolutely. I think Daniel knows that the potential is there, but I’m sure he’s probably expected to step it up.”
In the current F1 landscape, several young drivers are making their mark, with talents like Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman from the Ferrari Academy showcasing their potential.
Notably, Bearman scored points filling in for the unwell Carlos Sainz in Jeddah. However, the 2024 season stands out as the first in F1 history without a rookie driver.
Liam Lawson acknowledges the challenges facing young drivers in securing opportunities in the sport, describing the current situation as “very tough.” Despite the obstacles, he remains resolute in his determination to secure a permanent seat in Formula 1 at the earliest chance available.
He elaborated: “Obviously this year it’s the first in a while where everything is exactly the same. It makes it very tough to get a seat when there’s multiple guys. I feel like I’m ready but there’s a lot of other guys there also.
“Ultimately my goal is to get back in that seat as soon as possible.”
During the final months of the previous season, there were strong associations between Lawson and Williams. He hinted that if he isn’t promoted to Red Bull soon, he might explore opportunities outside of the Red Bull setup.
He continued: “Red Bull is pretty cut-throat. I would love to drive for them, but ultimately I want to be in F1 regardless.”
Lawson’s recent remarks follow the airing of the latest season of Drive to Survive, Netflix’s highly praised F1 documentary series, which unveiled his genuine response to being denied a permanent F1 seat for the 2024 season.
Following the news delivered by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, Lawson was seen taking a jab at Tsunoda, whom he had previously outperformed convincingly at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Lawson stated: “I’ve just beaten the guy who got the seat. It was meant to be me.”
