Eddie Jordan has picked out Liam Lawson as “the real
deal” who is “ready to fly” next season, believing he should be driving the Red
Bull of Sergio Perez in 2025.
Lawson replaced Daniel Ricciardo at VCARB after the
Singapore Grand Prix, and is understood to be in contention to drive at Red Bull next
season, should the team opt to replace Perez.
Eddie Jordan highlights Liam Lawson as ‘the real deal’
for Red Bull
Red Bull are also understood to be assessing the
viability of bringing Franco Colapinto to the team next season, with the
Williams driver having impressed since he joined the grid in place of Logan
Sargeant after the summer break.
Lawson has had a couple of run-ins since his return to
the track, notably with Fernando Alonso in Austin and Perez himself in Mexico
City, apologising
after raising his middle finger at the Red Bull driver while in the
car.
But after the VCARB driver took his car to ninth place in
the Sprint at Interlagos at the weekend, finishing one place behind Perez in
the Red Bull, he qualified an impressive fifth place before bringing home
points in ninth come the end of the weekend.
This drew plaudits from former team principal Jordan, who
believes the New Zealander is the candidate standing out to replace Perez next
season, believing there is “not a chance” the Mexican will be in the car come
2025.
“The person who stood out for me, and I have to be
honest, Lawson, is the real deal here,” Jordan said on the Formula For
Success podcast.
“He drove with a lot of pressure, and he knows how to handle
himself. He had not got the car that Lewis [Hamilton] had, he has not got the
car that other people had, but he displayed a level of competence that I was
super impressed with. He’s ready to fly in 2025.
“Perez, you know, how many chances has he had? Do you think
he’ll have a drive next year? Not a chance.
“Lovely, lovely, lovely guy – but we know lovely guys don’t
win you Grands Prix. Whereas Lawson is the deal, he’s part of the family there,
part of the makeup, and he is the person that should be in that car.”
Co-host, 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard added:
“I’m not going to disagree with the fact Checo [is a] lovely guy.
“He has been a Grand Prix winner. He has been a loyal
servant, as the team have been to him, but unless something happens in the next
three races that gives you a whole lot of confidence that it’s just an ‘ism’
with this car, then the writing is very, very boldly on the wall.”
Read next: Early
Red Bull move ‘could destroy’ Franco Colapinto in ‘too soon’ verdict
