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Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has once again sparked speculation about Daniel Ricciardo's future with Visa Cash App RB, while keeping alive Liam Lawson’s hopes of being on the grid in 2025.
Ricciardo's seat with RB this year was meant to put the Australian driver in the mix for a triumphant return to Red Bull Bull Racing in 2025.
But consistent performances have proven elusive for the F1 veteran since the beginning of this year’s campaign, which led to Red Bull to confirm Sergio Perez alongside Max Verstappen for next season.
RB CEO Peter Bayer recently stated that keeping its line-up unchanged for 2025 – with Ricciardo and teammate Yuki Tsunoda – remained its preference.
However, Marko has revealed Red Bull’s desire to return the Faenza-based squad to its original role of developing young talent, which opens the door for Lawson’s full-time promotion to F1.
“The shareholders have made it known that it is a junior team and we have to act accordingly,” Marko told Kleine Zeitung.
“The goal was that he [Ricciardo] would be considered for Red Bull Racing with exceptional performances.
“That seat now belongs to Sergio Perez, so that plan is no longer valid.
“We have to put a young driver in there soon. That would be Liam Lawson.”
Marko’s comments leave little doubt about Red Bull’s preferred course of action, and paint a pessimistic picture for Ricciardo, whose short-term presence at RB could be called into question should he fail to improve his results in the coming races.
However, a question mark hangs over whether Red Bull team principal Christian Horner shares Marko's enthusiasm for Lawson. Rumors suggest the two disagree on RB’s future direction, with Horner reportedly favourable to keeping the team’s current line-up unchanged.
If Ricciardo can retain his seat, Marko has indicated that Red Bull won’t block Lawson from exploring other options for 2025.
Sauber has reportedly shown interest in the 22-year-old Kiwi should its plan to hire Carlos Sainz fail to materialize.
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