Helmut Marko Publicly Declares Deadline to Pick Max Verstappen’s Partner for 2025

Remember when Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly were demoted from the senior team and sent to the junior Red Bull team mid-season? A similar situation might’ve come upon Sergio Perez last year after his poor performances midway through the season. Fortunately for Checo, it went his way. The Mexican has started the 2024 season on a good note but isn’t yet confirmed as a Red Bull driver for 2025. With his contract ending at the end of the current season, Helmut Marko has come out to declare the deadline to decide who will be Max Verstappen’s partner for 2025. 

After Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move, the whole driver market scenario turned into a fish market, aptly naming 2024 as a silly season. Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso were amongst the many linked to the Red Bull seat. And not only Perez’s seat, Verstappen himself was rumored to be leaving Red Bull. Regardless, the Dutchman recently came out to suggest that the only thing that matters to him is having a fast car and that Red Bull is the one providing that, so there is no reason to leave.

However, as we inch closer towards the mid-season break, F1 teams must be panicking and wanting to sort their 2025 lineups. Yet, Mercedes and Red Bull are yet to confirm their second drivers and are testing the waters of the market, to see what moves the other team makes. Amid all this, Helmut Marko has now come up with a date for Red Bull to decide on who they want next to Max Verstappen.

Speaking with Motorsports.nl, Helmut Marko revealed that by the Spanish GP, the Milton Keynes-based team would have decided on who they want to partner Verstappen with. He said, “I think we do have a clear picture towards Barcelona.” When asked if they will make an announcement or just have the decision made within the team, he added “I think at least we’ll have a good picture ourselves.” Marko was then questioned if Perez is the best candidate to which he replied “I wouldn’t say pole-position, but he’s in a good position,”

However, Liam Lawson is also a candidate that Red Bull would consider, especially after a clause in his contract was revealed. Let’s see what this clause is and how it puts Red Bull in a position to clear Lawson.

The secret clause in Liam Lawson’s Red Bull contract 

Liam Lawson has been in the Red Bull family since the junior formulas, very much like most of the Red Bull drivers. He replaced Ricciardo for a couple of races last year and impressed everyone with his pace. Unfortunately Red Bull didn’t have a seat available for 2024 and the New Zealander remained as a test driver for the team. However, for 2025, a clause in Lawson’s contract allows him to move to another team if Red Bull doesn’t give him a drive. Ricciardo scored an amazing result in the Miami Sprint and Yuki Tsunoda has been performing above the car’s potential as well.

Hence, either of the two drivers has a possibility of being promoted to Red Bull and Lawson getting the VCARB seat. Red Bull can very well decide on giving Lawson the big team seat too. Revealing the clause in Lawson’s contract, Joe Saward wrote, “The thing about Lawson is that his Red Bull contract stipulates that he must be given a race drive in 2025 or he can walk away to a rival team. Some other teams are interested, so Red Bull must decide what to do and logic suggests that they might as well sign him for next year and start training him up straight away, hoping that he will score more than the two current drivers.”

Who do you think Red Bull will sign as Max Verstappen’s teammate?