“He’s making a strong case for himself next year”: Red Bull boss insists Liam Lawson not the only contender for next season’s RB F1 seat

Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing's junior and super-sub for AlphaTauri (now RB F1), has another opportunity to get back into a Formula 1 race car after the British Grand Prix. However, team principal Christian Horner has said that there are more contenders for RB F1's seat next season.

Much like many aspiring racers, Lawson began his career racing in go-kart competitions. Showcasing his racecraft, the New Zealander gradually moved to the lower Formula divisions before getting spotted by Red Bull's talent hunters for their junior driver program. The young driver finished ninth in the Formula 2 driver's championship in his debut season in 2021 and improved in 2022 with a third-placed finish.

It resulted in Lawson getting a drive in the then AlphaTauri team as a super-sub for Daniel Ricciardo when the latter broke his hand during the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix. During five race weekends, Lawson managed his first F1 career points in the Singapore Grand Prix (ninth-place finish). The 22-year-old went back to his reserve role after the "Honey Badger" recovered from his injury ahead of the United States Grand Prix.

Now, with Lawson testing Red Bull Racing's RB20 race car during the filming day event at Silverstone, rumors of the young driver's return to Formula have begun circulating.

However, Horner has said that the New Zealander is not the only option on their list. The Austrian outfit is also looking at the other Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar, who is leading the F2 championship.

"He’s making a strong case for himself next year, which is why we’re not in any rush to finalize seats in the sister team.” Horner said during a media interaction at Silverstone.

With three talented drivers in Lawson, Hadjar and Arvid Lindblad, it will be interesting to see who replaces Daniel Ricciardo at RB F1 next year.

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A brief look at Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar's 2024 Formula 2 season with Campos Racing so far

After a disappointing end of the 2023 season (14th in the driver's championship), Isack Hadjar made amends in the 2024 Formula 2 season. Driving for Campos Racing, the young French driver is leading the championship.

Despite a good start in the Sprint Race (fourth place) in Bahrain, Hadjar was unable to make a mark in the Feature Race. His result in Saudi Arabia was worse, with no points in both races.

However, things began improving in Australia, with a sixth-place finish in the Sprint race and a win in the Feature event. After Australia, Hadjar managed three race wins (Sprint race in Monaco and Feature races in Italy and Britain).

With six race weekends remaining in the 2024 season, Isack Hadjar is ahead of Paul Aron and Zane Maloney.