How Red Bull has renewed the pressure on Perez

Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull dismissal did not come out of the blue, with the Australian under near-constant pressure to up his game at RB throughout the current F1 season.

After the 35-year-old was axed after the recent Singapore Grand Prix in favour of Liam Lawson, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko made no bones about it in his Speedweek column.

"Daniel Ricciardo was given a second chance that no one else would have given him. And that was done on the assumption that a return to Red Bull was possible with a good performance," the Austrian wrote.

"So RB was always meant to be a stopgap. But the necessary performances only followed twice with fourth place at the sprint race in Miami and Mexico last year. Other than that, the speed and consistency were not there."

Harsh? Perhaps, particularly as Marko failed to recognise Ricciardo's performance in this year's Canadian Grand Prix. But it does not change the bigger picture, and that is, in the long term, Red Bull needs a suitable successor for Max Verstappen.

It is a move that also fits short-term needs, too. The fact Ricciardo was intended to slot in alongside the Dutchman in place of Sergio Perez says it all.

The Mexican's position with the main squad has been under discussion for some time. However, the 34-year-old has so far weathered the storms of his poor form, including during this season and last.

But Red Bull's patience is wearing thin. Ricciardo was brought in as Nyck de Vries' replacement part-way through 2023 to add pressure but did not succeed, granting Perez a stay of execution. Now, that baton is handed to Lawson.

Long-term solution fits short-term needs

Lawson's situation has been difficult for Red Bull to navigate, as the New Zealander had a clause in his contract that allowed him to search for another seat after September in the event no final call at Red Bull had been made.

Now that Lawson has been afforded his coveted opportunity, a very important period is approaching, with a decision for 2025 yet to be made.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has concdeded, incidentally, that Lawson is being evaluated for a Red Bull seat.

Asked what his ideal scenario for 2025 would be, speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, he said: "Obviously that Perez regains his form from the beginning of the season and nothing has to change. But we all know that two weeks is a long time in this business."

Having only just stepped back up to the RB seat alongside Yuki Tsunoda, Lawson could soon find himself in a Red Bull, especially now that the team is unapologetically putting the pressure on Perez.

Should the driver regularly beat Tsunoda, as he did last season, promotion beckons. Red Bull's dominant era is behind it, forcing the team to get Perez back on level terms. If that fails, Lawson could be its way out.