The former Red Bull Racing sporting director is expected to join Aston Martin F1 on the recommendation of his current boss, Adrian Newey.
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However, he will have to observe a period of gardening leave before taking up his duties.
Liam Lawson had already been linked to Sauber — the precursor to the Audi F1 project — in 2024. It now appears that Jonathan Wheatley was the main architect of this attempt.
A departure deprives Lawson of a safety net
Lawson joined the Red Bull Junior Team program in 2019, meaning that Wheatley followed his progress closely. The Englishman seemed to be a great admirer of his talent.
Even though he didn’t officially start his work at Audi until April 2025, his arrival had been announced as early as 2024. According to the New Zealand Herald, he wanted to take Lawson with him, amid uncertainty surrounding the driver’s future at Red Bull.
If Red Bull had not guaranteed him a seat in one of its teams before a certain deadline, Lawson could have left. But he eventually replaced Daniel Ricciardo at Racing Bulls in late 2024, before being promoted to Red Bull at the start of the following season.
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With Wheatley’s departure, the Audi path now seems closed. And if a seat becomes available at Aston Martin alongside Lance Stroll (with Fernando Alonso clearly approaching retirement), it would more likely go to a Honda-backed driver, such as Yuki Tsunoda.
A blow for Lawson
In a way, this weakens Lawson’s “job security” in Formula 1. If his adventure at Red Bull or Racing Bulls doesn’t work out, he could find himself without a solid fallback solution.
Max Verstappen’s future in F1 remains uncertain. The four-time world champion is even said to be considering retirement due to his dissatisfaction with the new regulations.
In this context, many are wondering about the consequences for Lawson: could this offer him an opportunity to return to Red Bull, possibly alongside his former teammate Isack Hadjar?
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