Formula 1: 3 possible teammates for Yuki Tsunoda in 2025

2. Liam Lawson

Liam Lawson shined for AlphaTauri last season when he competed in a run of races following Daniel Ricciardo's injury. The expectation was that Lawson would replace the Australian driver for the 2024 season after his impressive stint, but that did not come to fruition. Lawson continues to be Red Bull’s reserve driver.

Helmut Marko has acknowledged that it will be very tight between Ricciardo and Lawson for that final seat, calling it a "shootout”. Given how big of a decision this will be for those in upper management at Red Bull and RB, one will likely not be made until very late in the season.

If the Kiwi driver is passed up on heading into 2025, Red Bull risk losing him to another team on the grid. This is a major risk, as it means that they could lose the opportunity to promote the 22-year-old to the main team alongside Max Verstappen once Sergio Perez’s new contract expires at the end of the 2026 season.

Bringing in Lawson to replace Ricciardo could have quite the domino effect. Red Bull could opt to consider their future, with Ricciardo being 12 years older than Lawson. But at the same time, they could incite a fierce battle between Yuki Tsunoda and Lawson over the next two years as both potentially aim to become Verstappen’s new teammate.