Purple Bull advisor Helmut Marko says the Austrian model will primarily take a look at its junior drivers for the long run, relatively than established Components 1 stars.
Purple Bull is trying to find the perfect driver to associate Max Verstappen sooner or later, attributable to incumbent Sergio Perez – who’s underneath contract for subsequent 12 months – having struggled to match his team-mate these days.
Perez scored solely 41 factors within the newest 12 grands prix, simply 21% of Verstappen’s tally of 195 – which has value Purple Bull dearly within the constructors’ title race, with McLaren taking a snug lead.
Hiring race winner George Russell could possibly be an possibility for Purple Bull, given his contract with Mercedes runs to the top of 2025 solely. But, whereas Marko praises the Englishman, he says this isn’t a possible plan of action.
“George Russell is on a par with [Lewis] Hamilton in qualifying, if not quicker,” Marko admitted in an interview with Motorsport.com’s sister publication Formel1.de. “However Russell is Mercedes-Benz-affiliated, and now we’re specializing in our juniors.
“We see this with [Franco] Colapinto, for instance, he was comparatively inexperienced and never very profitable within the junior sequence, though it must be mentioned that he by no means had the perfect groups, however what an unbelievable efficiency he’s placing in now.
“And now let’s have a look at what our juniors or perhaps a Yuki Tsunoda can do. He may also be described as a junior. However as I discussed earlier, how does he evaluate to a Lawson?”
Christian Horner, Staff Principal, Purple Bull Racing, Helmut Marko, Advisor, Purple Bull Racing
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photographs
Crucially, Liam Lawson is again on the Components 1 grid, this time as a full-time driver, changing Daniel Ricciardo for the final six rounds of the 2024 marketing campaign after the veteran’s efficiency did not match Purple Bull’s expectations.
Lawson will go up in opposition to Tsunoda, who has retained Purple Bull’s belief however is but to persuade workforce leaders to offer him an opportunity in the principle squad.
Moreover, 20-year-old Isack Hadjar has been combating for the Components 2 title, whereas fellow Purple Bull Junior Staff member Arvid Lindblad completed fourth in Components 3 this 12 months.
Hadjar’s F2 rivals Colapinto and Oliver Bearman have made their mark of their first Components 1 races, with the Argentinean driver’s eighth place for Williams in Baku a standout efficiency. That is proof children will be trusted to get satisfying outcomes, Marko reckons.
“[Colapinto] is certainly somebody for the long run,” the Austrian mentioned. “What he confirmed in Baku and in Singapore was very, superb. However I gave that for instance.
“You can additionally point out Bearman, who exhibits that juniors from Components 2 have the potential to impress in Components 1. Due to this fact, opposite to the previous, as a prime workforce you do not essentially want drivers that have already got three or 5 years’ price of expertise.”
