Liam Lawson appears to be positioning himself as a potential future teammate for Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing in 2025, as persistent rumours swirl that Sergio Perez could retire.
Despite repeated denials from Perez, speculation continues that the Mexican driver might announce his retirement at his home Grand Prix this weekend.
"It's a rumour," Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko told Sky Deutschland ahead of the Mexican GP. "He himself says there is no truth in it.
"Let's see. It is true that he has to improve his performance," Marko added.
Perez, 34, signed a new contract earlier this year to stay with Red Bull for 2025 and 2026, but it is believed that the team has the option to terminate the deal unilaterally if they choose to.
Verstappen is currently 57 points ahead of Lando Norris in the drivers' standings, but Red Bull is at risk of losing ground in the constructors' championship, with Ferrari possibly overtaking them for second place.
Former F1 driver Ivan Capelli placed the blame squarely on Perez for Red Bull's struggle in the team standings.
"Ferrari has two drivers, the others only have one," Capelli told La Repubblica. "Perez is always far behind in the Red Bull, while (Oscar) Piastri with McLaren is yet to find good consistency."
While Honda is pushing for Yuki Tsunoda to potentially take Perez's place, it appears that Red Bull is grooming Liam Lawson for a future promotion. Lawson replaced Daniel Ricciardo at RB from the US GP onwards and is making the most of his opportunity.
"They have their expectations of me, just as I do of myself," said Lawson. "I am here to do a good job and I want to be in Formula 1 next year too. I have these few races and that is very important for me.
"I managed to do well in this race, but we still have five important races ahead of us," Lawson added.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner praised the 22-year-old New Zealander's performance in Austin, stating that Lawson "drove like a seasoned driver." Marko was similarly impressed.
"A really great (2024) debut," Marko remarked. "That was already apparent in Q1, where he did the third fastest time. He was in control at all times and did great overtaking manoeuvres.
"It shows that you have to put these youngsters in the cars and then it works out. He is definitely a man for the future," Marko enthused.
Former F1 driver Christijan Albers went as far as to suggest that Lawson is already performing better than McLaren's Oscar Piastri.
"Yes, I think so," Albers told Viaplay. "He has the natural talent that Piastri has, but I also think Piastri fluctuates a bit more.
"Lawson is definitely ready for it. If he's not next to Verstappen next year, I'll eat my shoe. And I mean that seriously."
Albers continued, "He comes back after a long time, drives a circuit he doesn't know, and does a fantastic job. He was often faster than Tsunoda, straight away.
"I think he should already be there (at Red Bull Racing) instead of Perez," Albers concluded.
Dutch racing personality Tom Coronel sees Williams' debutant Franco Colapinto, 21, in a similar light, noting the fresh talent among the new generation of drivers.
"You see this new generation driving in a different way," Coronel said. "A bit more attacking, and they are a bit more driven. They understand the game."
However, Coronel believes Red Bull still needs someone to challenge Verstappen more directly.
"They actually need someone who is breathing down Max's neck a bit, but you have to say that Perez isn't doing that now either," Coronel noted.
