Eddie Jordan has picked out Liam Lawson as “the real deal” who is “ready to fly” next season, believing he should be driving the Red Bull of Sergio Perez in 2025.
Lawson replaced Daniel Ricciardo at VCARB after the Singapore Grand Prix, and is understood to be in contention to drive at Red Bull next season, should the team opt to replace Perez.
Eddie Jordan highlights Liam Lawson as ‘the real deal’ for Red Bull
Red Bull are also understood to be assessing the viability of bringing Franco Colapinto to the team next season, with the Williams driver having impressed since he joined the grid in place of Logan Sargeant after the summer break.
Lawson has had a couple of run-ins since his return to the track, notably with Fernando Alonso in Austin and Perez himself in Mexico City, apologising after raising his middle finger at the Red Bull driver while in the car.
But after the VCARB driver took his car to ninth place in the Sprint at Interlagos at the weekend, finishing one place behind Perez in the Red Bull, he qualified an impressive fifth place before bringing home points in ninth come the end of the weekend.
This drew plaudits from former team principal Jordan, who believes the New Zealander is the candidate standing out to replace Perez next season, believing there is “not a chance” the Mexican will be in the car come 2025.
“The person who stood out for me, and I have to be honest, Lawson, is the real deal here,” Jordan said on the Formula For Success podcast.
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“He drove with a lot of pressure, and he knows how to handle himself. He had not got the car that Lewis [Hamilton] had, he has not got the car that other people had, but he displayed a level of competence that I was super impressed with. He’s ready to fly in 2025.
“Perez, you know, how many chances has he had? Do you think he’ll have a drive next year? Not a chance.
“Lovely, lovely, lovely guy – but we know lovely guys don’t win you Grands Prix. Whereas Lawson is the deal, he’s part of the family there, part of the makeup, and he is the person that should be in that car.”
Co-host, 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard added: “I’m not going to disagree with the fact Checo [is a] lovely guy.
“He has been a Grand Prix winner. He has been a loyal servant, as the team have been to him, but unless something happens in the next three races that gives you a whole lot of confidence that it’s just an ‘ism’ with this car, then the writing is very, very boldly on the wall.”
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