The 2025 Formula 1 grid is taking shape much earlier than in previous seasons with so many contracts expiring at the end of the year.
Between the races in Monaco and Canada, two more drivers confirmed they were staying with their current teams.
Despite three difficult weekends on the bounce, Red Bull announced that Sergio Perez had signed a new contract.
In the sister Visa Cash App RB team, Yuki Tsunoda’s deal was also extended for a further year after a sensational start to the 2024 season despite his late spin in Montreal.
Speaking on Sky Sports F1’s YouTube channel, journalist Craig Slater shared an update on who might be joining Tsunoda in the team in 2025.
It appears to be a two-horse race between eight-time race winner Daniel Ricciardo and relative rookie Liam Lawson.
Slater now believes that Ricciardo is the ‘slight favourite’ to maintain his seat, which puts Lawson and Red Bull in an awkward position.
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Daniel Ricciardo is the ‘slight favourite’ for 2025 RB seat
Visa Cash App RB may have enjoyed a name change over the winter, but its role in the Red Bull set-up remains the same.
Plenty of incredibly talented young drivers have made their Formula 1 debuts with the team in its various guises and more than a quarter of the grid can trace their roots into the sport through the team.
However, that production line of talent has slowed down in recent years.
Tsunoda will enter his fifth season with the team next year and it’s no surprise that he was courted by several other teams on the grid given his chances of earning a promotion appear to be incredibly slim.
It says a lot that last season Red Bull decided to bring in Nyck de Vries rather than promote a driver from within.
When he didn’t prove to be up to the task, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner turned to one of his most trusted drivers Daniel Ricciardo to step in.
The Australian hasn’t done a perfect job and has been second-best to his teammate for the majority of 2024.
However, Slater believes that Ricciardo is still the slight favourite to be at RB in 2025, leaving Lawson in a difficult position.
He’s waited patiently for his chance after impressing during his cameo last year but might need to explore his possibilities with other teams if he wants to be on the grid next season.
Daniel Ricciardo winning the battle with Liam Lawson for RB seat
Talking about the situation at RB, Slater said: “Yuki Tsunoda has signed a contract extension to stay with Red Bull’s junior team in 2025.
“RB say Tsunoda’s shown enormous progress in announcing his extension, while Tsunoda says it’s a good feeling to have his future decided so early in the year.
“The Japanese driver has comprehensively outperformed Daniel Ricciardo this season, so it will be either [Daniel] Ricciardo or Liam Lawson in that other RB seat.
“I am hearing Ricciardo is maybe the slight favourite at the moment.”
READ MORE: Who is Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
Liam Lawson has shared that he has a clause in his contract that essentially guarantees him a seat next year.
However, Red Bull have proven time and time again in the past that contracts can be easily broken if required.
That will likely be an expensive call for Red Bull to make, but Lawson has already been dismissed as an option by several other teams for next season despite having open seats.
It means he’ll have to choose between staying as Red Bull’s reserve driver for another year or exploring his options in other series.
The post 'I am hearing': Sky reporter shares the ‘slight favourite’ for 2025 RB seat – Daniel Ricciardo or Liam Lawson appeared first on F1 Oversteer.