Liam Lawson handed remarkable Max Verstappen claim: ‘It’s possible’

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes Liam Lawson has what it takes to fill Max Verstappen's shoes at Red Bull.

The comment comes despite Verstappen branding Lawson's conduct "rather unwise" after their clash during second practice ahead of the recent Mexico City Grand Prix.

On that occasion, the pair made contact through the Foro Sol stadium section, scattering debris and bringing out a red flag. The FIA subsequently handed both drivers a one-place grid penalty and penalty points for the incident.

Verstappen had suggested afterwards that Lawson's actions were especially unwise given that the 24-year-old was still fighting for his seat for next season at the time.

Seven-time grand prix Montoya, however, reads the situation differently.

The Colombian sees Lawson's refusal to be pushed aside as a sign of growth, and argues that even without that episode, the Racing Bulls driver remains the right candidate for Red Bull after being confirmed for another season with Racing Bulls for 2027.

"He's always the best driver in the midfield," said Montoya on his podcast, MontoyAS. "What Max Verstappen does in his car is impressive, but Liam is always right there, too. 

"To a certain extent, Liam is starting to show that he could be the next Max. It's possible.

"Liam has scored more points on his own than the entire Alpine team and, as such, deserves that seat."

Montoya also weighed in on the wider driver picture at Racing Bulls, suggesting it would have made more sense for Arvid Lindblad to be squeezed out had Nikola Tsolov been promoted to a race seat.

"If you look at speed, Lawson is generally the one who performs better in the races than Lindblad," he added.