While it may appear that Sauber holds the only remaining open seat for the 2025 season, that’s not entirely accurate due to the reshuffling Red Bull is carrying out between their main team and RB.

After the Singapore Grand Prix, RB has confirmed that Liam Lawson will replace Daniel Ricciardo. However, with no contract details for next year, Lawson’s role with the team currently lasts only through the final six races of the 2024 season.

He now has the opportunity to prove himself worthy of replacing Sergio Perez, as his position in Red Bull is at stake basically since the summer break, when rumours about his drop swirled around. 

This comes despite Perez signing a new one-plus-one contract in June, which theoretically secures his seat for 2025 with an option for 2026. However, it seems it would be relatively easy for Red Bull to negotiate an exit from the deal.

At the same time, Lawson can also extend his contract with RB if he doesn’t secure a seat on the main team, as it is pretty unlikely, that Red Bull would let him go.

Another potential option for Red Bull could be Yuki Tsunoda, who continues to show improvement with the sister team and has secured a contract extension for another year.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, has now once again indicated that Perez’s days at Red Bull might be numbered, hinting that Verstappen’s new teammate could be a junior driver.

“I don't know in how many races he [Lawson] was faster than Yuki, but that's why we decided that now is the time to make a comparison with Yuki,” he told ORF.

"Admittedly, Yuki has improved a lot.

"He has his emotions under control better. He was sometimes very bad on the radio. Those tirades also slowed him down.

"In other words, he lost his speed. That bothered me the most. But that's gone now. He's fast and consistent on all circuits."

Marko also suggested that ‘youth is the trend again’ with Mercedes signing Antonelli or Haas securing Bearman for 2025.

"What we used to do, is now being done by Mercedes with Antonelli, Haas with Bearman, and I also hope that [Franco] Colapinto will end up somewhere. He was thrown in at the deep end [by Williams] and has delivered three great races."

At the end, when asked with who Verstappen might partner in Red Bull’s 2025 lineup, Marko responded: "Ideally with a junior from our own junior programme."

With only 6 races remaining of the 2024 season, Red Bull is 41 points behind McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship, with no help guaranteed from Perez in order to secure the third consecutive title.