Christian Horner has appeared to contradict Helmut Marko’s claim that Liam Lawson will “definitely” race for either Red Bull or sister team RB in F1 2025.

Red Bull motorsport advisor told Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung that Lawson “will definitely be in one of our cars next year” and be promoted from his current reserve driver role int🐬o a full-time seat.

Marko’s comments suggested that 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Daniel Ricciardo, the only Re꧙d Bull-contracted driver without a confirmed seat for 2025, was at major risk of losin﷽g his drive to Lawson.

There has also been🥂 speculation that Lawson could replace Sergio Perez at the senior team if the Mexican fails to turn around his recent disappointing perfor𝓰mances during the remainder of the campaign.

But Red Bull team principal Horner insists that no decisi🦋ons have been made as ye🐓t.

“Nothing is fixed. At the momen💧t, we’ve still got ♋a few weeks to make those decisions,” Horner told Sky Sports.

“Obviously we know the si🌌tuation with Checo, and the cont꧋ract that he has.

“With Daniel and Liam, there are options within 🅰their agreements that, obviously, we won’t talk about in public until things are concluded.”

Verstappen ‘never’ an option for Mercedes

Horner also moved to close the door on rumours that Max Verstappen could yet quit the reigning world champions in order to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton a✨t Mercedes next year.

Verstappen, who is under contract until the end of 2028, has repeatedly stressed that he has no in𓄧tention of leaving Red Bull amid Mercedes’ public courting in recent months.

It is understood ꦡthat Mercedes have given up on the idea of trying to l🔯ure Verstappen for 2025, and appear set to promote their teenage prodigy Andrea Kimi Antonelli instead.

“The situation is, as we’ve stated all th🍌e way through the year, that we know what our agreement is with Max.﷽ And Max knows what his agreement is with us,” Horner explained.

“🌄He is certainly not available to Mercedes. He n✃ever was.

“I’m s✱ure whatever option they choose to take, they have thought carefully about. If they choose to give Antonelli the s♋eat, you have to commend them for taking the risk with a youngster.”