Ted Kravitz shares Liam Lawson to Audi theory with Ricciardo future undecided

Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson.

Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz explained his theory in which Liam Lawson heading away from the Red Bull stable may end up benefitting another team on the grid.

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko said the young New Zealander has a clause in his contract in which he has the ability to head elsewhere on the grid if their option on him is not used, with PlanetF1.com understanding they have not taken up their option to sign him for 2025 as of yet.

Liam Lawson to Audi? Ted Kravitz explains possible Red Bull link

Seats are beginning to fill up on the F1 2025 grid, with Pierre Gasly having signed on a new multi-year deal with Alpine on Thursday morning to extend his stay with Team Enstone; ditto Lance Stroll at Aston Martin.

Of the F1 2025 seats remaining, one of those is the RB seat currently occupied by Daniel Ricciardo, the only drive in the Red Bull stable that is now uncontracted for next season.

Kravitz explained that Lawson’s fate is likely to be determined by what happens with the 34-year-old’s future, whose performances need to remain at a high level if he is to stay in Formula 1.

But if a ‘loan’ option does present itself in some form, if Carlos Sainz chooses Williams or another option, the prominent pit lane reporter explained that Audi could remain an option for the youngster.

“It all depends on Daniel Ricciardo, doesn’t it?” Kravitz said on a recent episode of the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

“Yuki Tsunoda is confirmed for RB for next year. If Ricciardo’s performances pick up in the style that they did in Canada, then I think that he will stay at RB.

How is the F1 2025 driver market looking as it stands?

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“They seem happy to keep him. They’re all Red Bull Racing drivers, they seem happy for Daniel Ricciardo to stay, if – that’s a big if – if his performances keep up like Canada, if he keeps scoring points.

“If Ricciardo doesn’t and has a major slump, then I think Lawson will go into RB. But if Ricciardo does stay, then consider, have you ever been to a big Red Bull event? And have you seen the VIPs arriving in big Red Bull events? And do you know what cars they arrive in?”

When the correct guess of Audi was registered, Kravitz continued.

“So obviously there was potentially a link-up between Porsche, the Volkswagen Group has been a long-term partner of Red Bull corporate and there was the potential link-up with Porsche, didn’t work out.

“That doesn’t mean that the Red Bull company does not still retain very good links with Audi, which they do.

“So I can see maybe, having lost out on potentially Carlos Sainz, Helmut Marko or Christian Horner might go to Audi and say, ‘Look, if you don’t want to keep Valtteri Bottas, how about Liam Lawson?’, or indeed the reverse if they wanted to move Daniel Ricciardo on – but I’m not sure whether Ricciardo-Hulkenberg would be quite what Audi would want.

“I think the appeal of a young charger in Lawson, backed by Red Bull with Red Bull’s grace, and maybe giving them something to go in there and the experience of Hulkenberg might be up Audi’s street.”