Liam Lawson’s Red Bull Test Fuels Speculation Over Sergio Perez’s Future in F1

Speculation mounts over Liam Lawson potentially taking over Sergio Perez's spot following a Red Bull test drive for the 2024 F1 season.

Lewis Larkam at Silverstone has indicated that the initiation of a trial run in Red Bull's present F1 vehicle for Liam Lawson is fueling speculation regarding what lies ahead for Sergio Perez.

According to Motorsport.com, Red Bull's backup driver Lawson, who stepped in for the hurt Daniel Ricciardo at RB the previous year for his first F1 appearance, is set to pilot Red Bull’s 2024 model, the RB20, during a filming session at Silverstone this Thursday.

Despite receiving a fresh two-year contract from Red Bull in June, Perez has increasingly faced scrutiny due to a persistent streak of underperformance.

Max Verstappen has secured victories in seven out of the eleven races held this year. In contrast, Perez has not yet won any race and hasn't made it to the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix in April.

Perez has been unable to secure a finish above seventh place in his recent five races, coupled with a series of underwhelming qualifying rounds. His most recent setback occurred at Silverstone on Saturday, where he was eliminated in the first qualifying session (Q1), placing 19th after his Red Bull car ended up stranded in the gravel shortly after the session began.

Perez's intense streak has positioned him in fifth place in the championship, amassing 118 points, in contrast to Verstappen's 237 points. Red Bull leads the constructors' rankings, with a 64-point advantage over Ferrari, who sits in second.

Red Bull's team leader, Christian Horner, acknowledged that Perez's recent performance struggles are undeniable.

"In this sport, there's nowhere to conceal yourself, especially when you have Max Verstappen as a teammate," Horner shared with Sky Sports F1 during the British Grand Prix.

"He's aware that he's being compared to the top competitors, and it's crucial for him to be up front assisting Max, especially now that there are two McLarens, two Ferraris, and two Mercedes in the mix. It's essential for us to have two strong contenders from Red Bull."

Perez's performance has sparked rumors that Ricciardo might be brought in to take Perez's place sometime this season or the next. However, according to Motorsport, these rumors are not accurate, as the Australian's performance has been less than impressive since he rejoined the F1 circuit on a full-time basis.

However, Lawson's scheduled day of filming has sparked new speculation that the New Zealander might be in the running to be Verstappen's upcoming teammate.

A year prior, Ricciardo's performance at a Pirelli tire trial at Silverstone was sufficient to persuade Red Bull to substitute him for Nyck de Vries in their affiliate team, following just 10 races.

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