FORMULA ONE legend Eddie Jordan has named two potential replacements for Sergio Perez at Red Bull.
Perez’s contract expires at the end of the 2024 season and boss Christian Horner has made it clear he will be exploring new driver options.
And F1 icon Jordan reckons Red Bulls should look at Liam Lawson and Oscar Piastri to fill the Mexican’s seat.
Perez, 33, has struggled this season and is already a massive 177 points behind team-mate, and runaway title leader, Max Verstappen in the driver’s standings.
That form has seen Perez’s future be called into question with reserve driver Lawson tipped to take over.
Lawson, 21, made his F1 debut this month, for Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri, standing in for injured Daniel Ricciardo in Singapore and Japan.
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His ninth-place finish in Singapore was the team’s best of the season, and he followed it with an 11th in Japan.
But it wasn’t enough to earn him a permanent seat next season, as AlphaTauri confirmed Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda will return.
But Jordan was impressed and suggested on his Formula For Success podcast that Lawson would be a perfect fit for Horner’s team.
He said: “Lawson finishing 11th – and he just keeps doing it – in a car that really shouldn’t be there, scoring points in Singapore, and he’s on the case all the time.
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“Lawson deserves a chance in Formula 1, you can only win the championship with one driver.
“And, in my opinion, if you are going to change Checo Perez, I would change them for somebody absolutely new who has a really bright future.
“I think Lawson because it’s the same kind of feeder team, isn’t it?
“Where Sebastian Vettel came from and Lawson has that ability. I think he, either next year or the year after, should wind up in Red Bull.”
While he clearly rates Lawson, Jordan admitted he would go for someone else if he were in charge of Red Bull.
Former team owner Jordan added: “I think Piastri is the real deal.
“Full marks to McLaren, they’ve signed him ’til ’26 because they needed to because he will be a very sought-after driver.
“If I was in Red Bull, and I was thinking of replacing Checo, he’d be the one I’d have in my mind.”
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
