Only two seats are officially up for grabs on the 2025 F1 grid after Lewis Hamilton announced he would join Ferrari, wreaking havoc on the chaotic driver market.
Seven driver changes have already been confirmed for next year, but there is still uncertainty about Red Bull and RB and a second Sauber seat for 2025.
The biggest concern is what Red Bull does with Liam Lawson, who replaced Daniel Ricciardo in the final six rounds of the season at RB, starting with the US Grand Prix on October 18-20 when the F1 season resumes.
Lawson now has the chance to impress at Red Bull and take over Sergio Perez’s place as Max Verstappen’s team-mate next season.
Perez, whose Red Bull contract expires at the end of 2025, had a dismal weekend last year in Singapore. Due to a lack of strong performance in Baku, they were eliminated in the second quarter and finished in 10th place.
The Mexican came under heavy pressure about his future at Red Bull ahead of the summer break due to poor form, but has been given the backing of team principal Christian Horner to keep his place for the remainder of 2024.
After the Singapore Grand Prix, Horner said: “We need both drivers firing on all cylinders. Checo had a good weekend in Baku. He had a tough weekend.
“We need to make sure we see the weekend together… McLaren are putting two drivers on the podium. It’s these big points that really make the difference. We want Checo to be as high up in the field as we can get. You need to check him out.”
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Let’s take a look at some of Daniel Ricciardo’s best moments during his F1 career.
Can Lawson replace Perez in 2025?
Lawson has six races to prove he deserves the RB spot on a permanent basis in 2025, as he does not have a contract for 2025, or earn a promotion to drive alongside Verstappen at Red Bull.
He replaced Ricciardo for the five-race weekend at Zandvoort last year when the Australian broke the metacarpal bone in his hand.
Lawson was very impressive in his 2023 cameo, scoring in Singapore and finishing just one point off the mark in 11th place twice.
The 22-year-old will contest a sprint weekend in his first event at RB and will start at the back of the field as he faces a 10 grid place penalty for exceeding his engine limits. Saturday’s sprint at the United States Grand Prix.
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Rachel Brookes says Ricciardo will be very disappointed that he has not reached the level where he could return to Red Bull to replace Sergio Perez.
“Red Bull have said publicly that they still have doubts about the Czech and that he needs to find his form,” said Rachel Brookes. Sky Sports F1 Podcast.
“He has one more year left on his contract, so they say he’s there until the end of 2025, so that’s what we’re looking at.”
“Liam knows that this is not a Formula 1 position at the moment, but could potentially be a Red Bull position, so the pressure will be enormous on him.
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Sky Sports’ Craig Slater believes Ricciardo will not return to F1 in the future and speculates whether Lawson could drive for RB until the end of the season, opening up an opportunity at Red Bull.
“When he came in last year we all praised him and did what he did, but now he has to do it again with the possibility of a Red Bull seat hanging over his head. It’s huge pressure.
“It will be really interesting to see how he handles it because I’ve been impressed with the way he’s handled everything before, especially knowing he doesn’t have a seat for 2024 but still goes out and he’s not very concerned about how he’s treated or by anyone on the team. I never said anything bad about someone I received.
“We know he’s got a fantastic head on his shoulders and we know he’s a great driver. If he can put it all together, potentially he could join Red Bull next year. So this is a big opportunity for him. “
Is Tsunoda overlooked?
The five events Lawson and Tsunoda spent together as teammates last year were close, but the New Zealander’s ability to get in the car and move quickly attracted plenty of attention.
Tsunoda made his F1 debut in 2021 but has never been considered a serious contender to become Verstappen’s teammate.
RB announced in June that he would remain with the team until 2025, highlighting Red Bull’s lack of faith in promoting the Japanese driver.
But if he beats Lawson in the final six races of the year and Perez struggles, Tsunoda will have the best chance of moving up to Red Bull.
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Last July, Yuki Tsunoda said he was ready to join the Red Bull team and challenge Max Verstappen.
Sky Sports’ Anthony Davidson said: “Yuki has improved his game since he first entered F1 and I think he’s the finished product now.”
“I’m not sure it’s that easy for someone to beat Tsunoda. What does he think about all this? He’s been overlooked every time.
“Whether it’s Lawson or Ricciardo coming back as an experienced driver, these young drivers coming in, Nyck de Vries going up against him, and Yuki keeps beating them every time. It can’t just be a coincidence.
“Poor Yuki is overlooked here. Why isn’t he given a chance? Why don’t we hear about Yuki’s chance to replace Sergio Perez? Could he do a better job if he were committed to Red Bull?
“He is a feisty driver. I can’t imagine he would be mentally destroyed if he finished second or 10 or 15 seconds behind Max Verstappen every time. He is a resilient character.”
Who will take the final Sauber seat?
Nico Hulkenberg has already been announced as a Sauber driver for next year, so at least one of Valtteri Bottas or Zhou Guan Yu You will lose your seat.
Hulkenberg is set to leave Haas after this season, the American team is set to completely change its driver pairing as Esteban Ocon joins from Alpine and British teenager Oliver Bearman makes his full-time F1 debut, while Kevin Magnussen is set to leave the sport .
Magnussen is not a contender for the Sauber seat as Bottas, Zhou, Williams driver Franco Colapinto and F2 star Gabriel Bortoleto are candidates.
I think Bottas is driving better than he was in the Mercedes. At Mercedes he was Hamilton’s team-mate for five seasons but never had a car to showcase his achievements.
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Valtteri Bottas points to a change in approach as he prides himself on coping with the pressures of Formula 1 and having fun in his own way.
The Finn said he wanted a multi-year deal as Audi would take over Sauber from 2026 when new F1 rules are introduced.
Zhou is ahead of Bottas in the Drivers’ Championship due to his better finishing position, with both drivers yet to score points this year.
The Chinese driver brings the marketing factor of being the first F1 driver from China, a large market for the automotive and motorsport industries.
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New Williams driver Franco Colapinto sat down with Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz to answer some quick questions.
As for Colapinto, he surprised many with an impressive performance last month after replacing Logan Sargeant to finish eighth in Baku and push team-mate Alex Albon with sheer speed.
Carlos Sainz is set to join Williams from Ferrari later this year, but Argentine driver Colapinto has clearly frowned upon Sauber.
Bortoleto, the current F3 champion, is leading the F2 championship in his rookie season and is one of the most exciting young talents in the junior ranks.
Bortoleto, 19, from Brazil, has been part of the McLaren driver development program since 2023 and is part of Fernando Alonso’s driver management company.
Gabriel Bortoleto leads the F2 championship.
“He’s an amazing talent, but he’s also a very humble person. I think that’s the biggest thing we have to work on,” Alonso said.
“Apart from his talent, he is a hard worker, and I think that is why he has made so much progress in Formula 3 and Formula 2. I also think he is someone who takes everything very seriously, something that can never be guaranteed at his age. no see. .
“He won the championship as a rookie in Formula 3, and he’s fighting for the championship as a rookie in Formula 2 too, without testing many other rookies. So he’s probably the only rookie in the championship.
“So this has been an amazing achievement so far and we’ll see what the future holds, but you know, it’s only a matter of time before he goes to F1.”
There are just six races left in Formula 1 in 2024 and the season resumes with the United States Grand Prix in Austin from October 18-20, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month membership. There is no contract and you can cancel at any time.
