Horner has also explained that the decision to get Lawson racing immediately is all about ensuring Red Bull knows what the New Zealander is capable of as the team weighs up what to do with Perez on the long term.
“We need answers for the bigger picture in terms of drivers,” said Horner. “With six races remaining, it's the perfect opportunity to line Liam up alongside Yuki [Tsunoda] to see how he performs over the remaining six grands prix.”
He added: “This goes beyond VCARB. It encompasses Red Bull Racing. Obviously, we've got a contract with Sergio for next year, but you've always got to have an eye out in terms of what comes next."
“And is that going to be Liam, or do we need to look outside the pool? Or will one of the other juniors step up in the fullness of time of this, like Isack Hadjar or Arvid Lindblad?”