Red Bull is already captivated by Liam Lawson’s performances in the United States Grand Prix, and Sergio Perez is in serious trouble. What emerges after the Circuit of The Americas shows another complicated scenario for the Mexican. He continues to reassure his fans, but the New Zealander is also making Yuki Tsunoda nervous: the next races will be decisive for the future of all three Milton Keynes drivers.
Three destinies tied by a red thread: Sergio Perez, Yuki Tsunoda, and the newcomer Liam Lawson. Three very different drivers, in character and beyond, ready to fight for that one Red Bull seat that seems to be up for grabs: Max Verstappen is a cornerstone – for now – and Milton Keynes wants a reliable teammate capable of bringing in critical points for the Constructors’ Championship.
This year, Sergio Perez might fail in this crucial task. McLaren and Ferrari are on par, if not superior to the RB20. The Dutchman manages to salvage the situation, while Sergio Perez continues to sink to the back of the pack of top drivers. In Austin, he even finished behind George Russell, in a problematic Mercedes that started from the pit lane.
“It seems like [at Red Bull] they want a driver to come in and be faster than Yuki Tsunoda,” explains Jenson Button, speaking on Sky Sports. “But if they keep bringing in drivers who aren’t faster than Tsunoda, then maybe Tsunoda should be in the Red Bull seat!”
“Last year, if Perez was half a second behind Max, it was fine because the car was very fast. Now, though, he’s eighth, and that’s a big problem for the team. It could cost them the Constructors’ Championship. They have to think carefully. At some point, they will have to make a tough decision.”
The battle between Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda then becomes crucial: one of the two is almost certain to be in Red Bull starting from 2025. It’s the moment of maturity for the Japanese driver, the eternal work-in-progress, who now has to prove that he is the new standard-bearer of Milton Keynes.
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