Jos Verstappen has shared his opinion on the uncertain driver line-up situation at Red Bull, as the identity of who will partner his son for the 2025 F1 season is still not locked down.
It remains unclear whether Max Verstappen's current team-mate, Sergio Perez, will be able to hold onto his seat for the rest of the year, despite being contracted until at least the end of next campaign.
Having parachuted Liam Lawson in to replace Daniel Ricciardo at RB, speculation around a late-season promotion to Red Bull for the New Zealander is gaining traction.
That would almost certainly spell the end of Perez's time with the team, including at RB or in the future, as the 34-year-old has been unable to sufficiently support Verstappen throughout much of the 2024 season.
However, Verstappen's father would not make the change yet, instead preferring to give Lawson more time to establish himself in F1 with RB.
"[Liam] Lawson is doing very well," The 52-year-old told Viaplay. "It seems logical to me that he is in front of the step-up.
"Let him [Lawson] finish this season there [at RB] and give him confidence. And then the team has to decide what they do for next year."
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With Yuki Tsunoda also in the running for the seat alongside Verstappen at Red Bull, whichever route the Milton Keynes squad ultimately opts to go down appears yet to be determined.
Although, for Verstappen Sr., he would prefer to see a driver who is able to help his son raise his game.
When asked about the prospect of Lawson joining Red Bull, he confirmed it is not something he would be opposed to.
"I'm certainly not holding it back," the former F1 driver said.
"Of course, it's better if there is someone there who is competitive and also pushes Max forward a bit. That always helps. We'll see."
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