Helmut Marko Draws The Line For Liam Lawson And Reaffirms Red Bull Driver Hierarchy

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has drawn a clear line on what Red Bull's new driver, Liam Lawson, is expected to do in his first year with the team. Marko pointed out Max Verstappen’s role as team leader, urging Lawson to focus on his own performance and stay within his limits.
Lawson earned the seat alongside Verstappen after the Abu Dhabi season finale, following Red Bull's decision to part ways with Sergio Perez. Perez's underwhelming performance had cost the team the Constructors' Championship, paving the way for McLaren to claim the title for the first time since 1998.
Not only that, Red Bull also lost the second spot to Ferrari, which highlighted the need for a faster second driver who scored points while Verstappen did his thing on the podium.
The 2024 season marked a period of great challenges for Red Bull, both on and off the racetrack. McLaren's resurgence heightened the difficulty in maintaining competitiveness as Red Bull's RB20 F1 car suffered from balance problems. While the issue initially affected Perez, Verstappen began to feel its impact after the summer break, leaving the team puzzled about its root cause.
Although Red Bull managed to address the problem partially, Verstappen's early-season dominance, when he won seven of the first ten races, ultimately helped him secure his fourth championship title.
Perez, however, was unable to improve his form, which led to his replacement. Lawson, who was being evaluated alongside Yuki Tsunoda in Red Bull's junior F1 team VCARB, was promoted to fill the seat left vacant by Perez.
Marko commended Lawson for his ability to perform under pressure but stressed that Verstappen remains the team's number one driver. The Kiwi has been tasked with concentrating on his own performance and contributing valuable points, allowing the Dutchman to focus on steering the team toward securing both championships. Speaking to Autosprint, as quoted by RacingNews365, Marko said:
"Liam Lawson is very young, has very good mental consistency and drives very fast. I think he can do well at Red Bull.
"The team obviously has an undisputed number one in Max Verstappen, so Lawson has to think about what he can do best without worrying about how the team leader is doing.
"He just has to make his own nice contribution."
Addressing the driver lineup of VCARB, where Tsunoda is joined by F2 driver Isack Hadjar for 2025, Marko added:
"I think Yuki is a very good driver who can drive very hard," explained Marko. "But his skills do not always equal his consistency and efficiency.
"He will get a fair chance as the undisputed leader in Racing Bulls, which can count on the talent of rookie Hadjar.
"Him I regard as a very interesting newcomer, given the qualities he has already shown positively in Formula 2."