Helmut Marko has outlined his vision for Red Bull 2025, which sees Max Verstappen again crowned as F1 champion - but not with Sergio Perez as his team-mate.
Red Bull advisor Marko has made it crystal clear that in an ideal world, one of Red Bull's juniors will be partnering with Verstappen in the RB21 next year.
Liam Lawson, who steps into the 'sister' RB team for the final six grands prix of the campaign after replacing Daniel Ricciardo, has the opportunity to prove himself worthy of replacing Perez.
That is despite the fact Perez was handed a new one-plus-one contract in June - effectively guaranteeing his seat for 2025, with an option for 2026 - but would appear easy for Red Bull to negotiate its way out of.
It is the second time over the autumn break that Marko has indicated that Perez's days may be numbered, particularly as he is languishing a miserable eighth in the constructors' championship and is undermining Red Bull's bid to retain its title.
Speaking to Austrian TV station ORF, Marko insists Perez will be part of "this evaluation", alongside Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, as neither pairing at Red Bull or RB is set in stone for next year.
Referring to Lawson's five-race cameo drive last season for AlphaTauri in place of the injured Ricciardo, Marko said: "I don't know in how many races he [Lawson] was faster than Yuki, but that's why we decided that now is the time to make a comparison with Yuki. Who of the two is the fastest?"
Additionally referencing Hadjar, who is vying for the F2 title, Marko said his "feeling" is that he knows the line-ups at the two teams for 2025, before adding: "But let's wait and see.
"Admittedly, Yuki has improved a lot," he said. "He has his emotions under control better. He was sometimes very bad on the radio. Those tirades also slowed him down.
"In other words, he lost his speed. That bothered me the most. But that's gone now. He's fast and consistent on all circuits."
Veering back toward Lawson and Hadjar, and drawing on what he has seen with Mercedes and Ferrari as Kimi Antonelli will drive for the former next year whilst the latter's Academy product, Oliver Bearman, lines up for Haas, Marko noted: "But youth is the trend again.
"What we used to do, is now being done by Mercedes with Antonelli, Haas with Bearman, and I also hope that [Franco] Colapinto will end up somewhere. He was thrown in at the deep end [by Williams] and has delivered three great races."
Forecasting next season, with Verstappen again champion, Marko concluded: "Ideally with a junior [as a team-mate] from our own junior programme."
Will Lawson get the Red Bull drive for 2025 or will he stay put at RB? Let us know in the comments or by voting below in the latest poll by RacingNews365.
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