Helmut Marko’s intriguing Liam Lawson requirement as F1 grid target set

Liam Lawson in the F1 paddock.
2025 is the year that Red Bull wants their reserve driver Liam Lawson on the F1 grid, but has Helmut Marko hinted we will see him in grand prix action again before then?
Lawson burst on the F1 scene in 2023 as a replacement for the injured Daniel Ricciardo, making a strong impression across his five grand prix outings.
The Singapore Grand Prix produced a points-scoring outing for Lawson as he crossed the line P9, calls having grown progressively louder for the Red Bull junior to land a seat on the F1 2024 grid.
Helmut Marko wants more Liam Lawson races to assess potential
Ultimately Red Bull stuck with Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda for their second team line-up in F1 2024, though Marko is keen to see Lawson in further action before his planned call-up happens.
Interestingly, Marko remained with the 2025 deadline, so if that means Lawson will compete during F1 2024, where will he end up doing so?
When pointed out by OE24 that he had said Lawson would have an F1 seat for 2025, Marko replied: “Yes, and before that he should at least drive a few more races so that we can see where his potential really lies.”
The AlphaTauri line-up of Ricciardo and Tsunoda looks stable for F1 2024, or considering Ricciardo has been talked about as the most likely Red Bull replacement for Sergio Perez if his struggles continue into the new season, could that be Lawson’s opening?
Marko confirmed Perez’s job security…for now.
“As of now, he will fulfil his contract until the end of 2024, then we’ll see,” said Marko.
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Appearing on the Brrrake F1 podcast, Lawson reflected on his F1 2023 stint at AlphaTauri and was asked to give himself a rating for his overall performance.
He settled on an eight, admitting there is “always more” performance to extract.
“There’s always more, so I’m never going to rate a 10, so I’m thinking, considering all the situations, an eight I would say,” Lawson stated.
“It was the most important thing I ever had to do. It basically takes over your life for that period. I put absolutely everything into it.
“So an eight I would be happy with, I would say that’s probably fair, but I think there’s always more. You finish a race, it’s like, ‘Ah, we’ve done this.'”
Lawson had briefly been linked with a Williams seat for F1 2024, though confirmation came that he would remain Red Bull’s test and reserve driver, with Logan Sargeant keeping his spot in the Williams line-up.
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