Liam Lawson keeps up a surprising streak at the Mexico GP that could really help him secure a spot in F1.
Liam Lawson’s seventh-place finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix helped him break a little-known points record this 2026 season and makes a strong case for him to keep a race seat in 2027. He’s had a great year with Racing Bulls, outscoring his rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad by 83 points to 38.
Although Lawson had to start from the pit lane in Mexico City because he was disqualified from qualifying, he made the most of a mid-race red flag caused by Valtteri Bottas’ crash. Plus, he moved up two places after penalties were given to Oscar Piastri and Franco Colapinto. Still, his spot for next year isn’t guaranteed. Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer hasn’t promised Lawson will stay, especially with Red Bull junior driver Nikola Tsolov possibly moving up to a race seat. But Lawson’s performance in Mexico definitely didn’t hurt his chances.
If you take out the top four teams—Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren—Lawson has actually finished as the best driver outside those teams in the last four races. He was seventh in Bahrain, Malaysia, and Singapore, and finished ninth in Austin last week, despite the top teams dominating the top eight spots. According to the fan-updated F1.5 Championship standings, where the top four teams are removed, Lawson leads by 31 points ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
After the Mexico race, Racing Bulls CEO Bayer told Austrian media ORF that Lawson had “done everything to prove himself” this season. Lawson even filled in for injured Isack Hadjar in three Red Bull races this year. Bayer added, “As a team focused on developing new F1 talent, we always want to bring fresh drivers into the sport. We’ve helped 22 drivers make it to Formula 1, including Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. The final call will be made by Alan [Permaine, team principal], who will decide what’s best for the team.”
This suggests Racing Bulls might lean toward promoting Tsolov, who’s currently second in the F2 championship, which could leave Lawson worried about his future. After the Mexico race, Lawson told Sky Sports, “I’m giving my best every weekend and today was no different. But right now, there are no promises. It’s a tough sport. I don’t really know what else to say.”