Red Bull to compare Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson at Imola this week, excluding Yuki Tsunoda
Red Bull will test Liam Lawson and Daniel Ricciardo at Imola this week to assess their performance, although Sergio Pérez is confirmed for the rest of the season. These tests could influence the team's decision for the coming year.
The question of which driver will be part of the Red Bull duo alongside Max Verstappen for the upcoming season is still pending at the moment. While Red Bull has confirmed Sergio Pérez for the remainder of the season, they will conduct tests this week to evaluate the performance of two of their drivers.
Currently looking for a potential replacement, Red Bull will invite Liam Lawson, reserve driver and Daniel Ricciardo, driver in the Red Bull junior team, to Italy in Imola.
A decisive test for Perez
Two test sessions will be conducted in Imola, Italy. The first test session will take place on July 31, 2024, while the two drivers will participate in a filming day driving the current VCARB01.
« It’s a filming day, so they will be shooting. It’s all about content [editor’s note: marketing content], Horner said as reported by Crash.net. « It’s with the current car, as we can do 200 km with the current car. So they will do a lot of shooting.
The two drivers on track for this event will be Liam Lawson and Daniel Ricciardo, while Yuki Tsunoda will also be present and will drive the current Racing Bulls car. Lawson, who is currently a reserve driver for Red Bull, had his first experience behind the wheel of the RB20 after the British Grand Prix. Unfortunately, due to strict testing regulations, Lawson did not have enough time to show his potential. This could change at Imola.
The second test session will take place on Thursday, August 1, 2024 and is part of the testing program that allows teams to carry out additional tests on old single-seaters. On this occasion, the team will stay one more day to try the 2022 AlphaTauri AT03. Ayumu Iwasa will also have the opportunity to participate in this second day, but not Isack Hadjar, who has notably driven in free practice 1 several times this season.
Although Red Bull has not announced a final decision regarding Perez’s future, this session will allow the team to gather important data on both candidates, their skills, and their handling of the single-seater.
Yuki Tsunoda does not seem to be considered.
Yuki Tsunoda, Ricciardo’s current teammate at Racing Bulls, will also be present at Imola, but unlike Lawson and Ricciardo, Tsunoda will not be tested in the 2022 car as announced by Racing News 365. Although Tsunoda has shown good performances this year, it seems that he is not considered as a potential replacement for Pérez. However, Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal, praised the notable performances of the Japanese driver this season. Helmut Marko, head of the team, criticized Tsunoda’s lack of seriousness on the radio as he received many penalties for his offensive messages.
The test at Imola will therefore mainly focus on the comparison between Lawson and Ricciardo, an important step even if Red Bull has chosen to keep Perez for the rest of the season.
This week’s test will allow Red Bull to collect important data, as Christian Horner pointed out. With Perez’s difficulties, this test could influence the team’s decision for the upcoming season and beyond.
