Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has revealed the team is expecting Liam Lawson to be “within three-tenths” of his new Formula 1 team-mate Max Verstappen in 2025.
Lawson has stepped up to the senior Red Bull setup this season as a replacement for Sergio Perez, who was dropped after a catastrophic campaign last time around.
The New Zealander has a daunting task ahead, however, as he prepares to go against the reigning F1 champion with less than a dozen starts in the sport to his name.
The second seat at Red Bull has become a poisoned chalice since Daniel Ricciardo exited in 2018, with Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Perez all failing to sustain results.
Marko has advised Lawson to avoid harbouring ambitions of usurping Verstappen, which he claimed was the mindset that contributed to his predecessors’ downfalls.
“Keeping in mind that within the team he is racing against what is currently the best Formula 1 driver and avoid what many other team-mates of Max have done, where they tried find remedies in the technology, [that is] with some absurd set-ups and strategic plays,” Marko told RTL.
“You have to accept that he is the best and see how far you can get. But you can’t go in there thinking ‘I am going to beat him’. That went wrong with all his team-mates.”
Red Bull sets Lawson expectation
Despite Verstappen clinching the Drivers’ title, Perez scoring 21 points in the last 10 rounds witnessed Red Bull drop to third place in the Constructors’ Championship.
Marko suspects Lawson starting the campaign inside three-tenths of Verstappen across all conditions would be a good enough platform to aid the team’s title hopes.
“He should be within three-tenths of Max in both in qualifying and in the race,” the Austrian outlined.
“That should be enough to get points for the Constructors’ Championship. He should also steadily increase his performance – if possible.”
Lawson’s agitation at Red Bull wait
Perez’s wretched end to the season made his departure inevitable, but Red Bull’s choice to renew his deal in June ensured that a mutual termination had to be agreed.
Marko has disclosed that the longer a resolution between the respective parties took, the more Lawson became agitated as he awaited an outcome on his prospects.
“As I said, he is very down-to-earth and he had to wait a while until he even got into Formula 1,” he highlighted.
“And then, due to the contract situation with Checo Perez, it took a while before we contractually were allowed to say something.
“So, he got a little restless, but let’s put it this way, he was very relieved.”
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