F1 Today | Lawson's F1 arrival and Mercedes not satisfied with performance

Marko hints at Lawson's F1 arrival

With both Yuki Tsunoda and Sergio Perez signing contract extensions, only one seat remains within the Red Bull Racing family. Daniel Ricciardo has not yet confirmed whether he will still have his seat at Visa Cash App RB for 2025. Marko has previously hinted that Lawson will be given a seat for 2025, after impressing during his stint in 2023 when he replaced Ricciardo for five races following an injury. 

"The shareholders have made it clear that it is a junior team and we have to act accordingly," Marko told Kleine Zeitung ahead of the Austrian GP. "The aim was for Ricciardo to qualify for a return to Red Bull Racing with exceptional performances. That seat now belongs to Sergio Perez, so that plan is off the table. We will have to put in a young driver soon," said Marko. "That would be Liam Lawson."

Shovlin on progress at Mercedes: 'Nice, but we want more'

In Spain, George Russell impressed when he went from fourth to first in the opening lap of the Grand Prix. His teammate Lewis Hamilton also made history, securing his 198th podium after finishing third. Nevertheless, this new performance is not enough for Chief Engineer Adndrew Shovlin. "Great to see both drivers on the podium in the last two events. But we want more, we want to do better than third places," he explained.

The team now looks ahead to the weekend in Austria, which will also feature a sprint race. Shovlin hopes that with the upgrades the team has introduced, they will see better results than they did in the last sprint race in Miami: "The recent changes we've made to the car, it's an easier thing to work with. The drivers have been much happier with the start setups," the strategic head said. "There's plenty to contend with. (...) Sometimes it's really hot, sometimes it's wet, so there's plenty to think about. But the drivers, the team, they are all enjoying racing the car that we've got now."

Verstappen expects a 'busy' and 'hectic' Austrian GP weekend

Max Verstappen also has his eyes set on this weekend, following another close battle with Lando Norris in Barcelona. The Dutchman hopes to triumph at this team's home race for the fifth time in his career. "We always feel really welcome and enjoy coming back to Austria, being a home race for Red Bull. The scenery and mountains around here are great and it is always good to see the Orange Army fans here and really feel that support from the grandstand," stated Verstappen.

"The track lends itself to a lot of overtaking so I’m sure it will be an exciting race. The team performed well here last year so hopefully, we can do the fans proud this weekend and bring it home with another win," he concluded.