While Liam Lawson, has answered any possible questions about whether he deserves a permanent spot in Formula 1, following two outstanding drives filling in for the injured Daniel Riccardio.
One question remains unanswered. Will we see a New Zealander as a full-time F1 driver in 2024?
One man who is in a position to answer that is Helmut Marko. Red Bull’s (and sister team, Alpha Tauri) head of Motorsport and Talent. While many Formula 1 teams have confirmed driver lineups for the upcoming season, AlphaTauri remains a notable exception. Although initially designated as AlphaTauri's reserve driver, Lawson was not given the opportunity to step into the role when Nyck de Vries was dismissed from the team. Nevertheless, his recent outings as a substitute for Ricciardo have garnered attention, leading to speculation that he might secure a full-time seat with AlphaTauri for the 2024 season.
Marko is not a man to tolerate underperformance and he likes what he see in Lawson. And to that point, he seems to be opening up around Lawson being on the grid next year.
Speaking with Austrian TV network, Servus, this week Marko hinted that if Lawson was to secure the Super Formula championship in Japan, it may well be on the cusp of happening.
“He is now still driving in the Japanese championship, and there he is second in a very, very difficult battle. The cars are faster there than in Formula 2,” Marko said.
“However, because it is in Japan, it is not viewed that way here. Maybe he can win the title there. Will he get a [full-time] seat instead of [staying] a reserve driver? That could happen quickly.”
He also drew a comparison between the 21 year old and the great Bruce McLaren.
“He is a tough but very smart man in a fight, a bit like Bruce McLaren. This is certainly someone for the future. The speed was there [at Monza], and that is a good sign.”
Adding fuel to the fire, Marko has also suggested Sergio Perez’s 2024 contract with the Championship winning Red Bull team may not be as iron clad as the Mexican driver thinks.
When asked if Red Bull could pull the pin on Perez, he reiterated nothing is 100% in Formula 1. “Now he has a contract until 2024. Is there a job guarantee in Formula 1? - In any case, it is a contractual guarantee.” Marko said, suggesting Perez is guaranteed a contract with Red Bull, not necessarily a job. Red Bull team boss, Christian Horner, however has said publicly that Perez is confirmed till the end of 2024.
Many F1 pundits have suggested that given the pace of the Red Bull car this season, many other drivers on the grid would have delivered better results than Perez. So there may well be a storm brewing with Perez, Riccardio, Tsunoda and Lawson all in the eye.
As it stands, fellow AlphaTauri drivers Yuki Tsunoda, nor Daniel Ricciardo have confirmed contracts for 2024 and as the Formula 1 season progresses, all eyes will be on Liam Lawson who takes the wheel again this month on the streets of Singapore, Tsunoda and the AlphaTauri team as they navigate the intricacies of driver lineups and contracts. But Marko's cryptic hints do suggest that Lawson could be in for an exciting career development in the near future.
