How Liam Lawson became too valuable to let go – and why Racing Bulls had to sign him again
Liam Lawson has kept his spot at Racing Bulls and will team up with Arvid Lindblad next season, finally ending one of the biggest contract stories in Formula 1.
Recently, there were rumors that the Kiwi driver might lose his seat because Red Bull wanted to bring in their promising junior, Nikola Tsolov from Bulgaria. But Lawson’s fantastic performances this year earned him a place on the team. Let’s take a look at how he managed to keep his F1 dream alive.
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Liam had a tough 2025 season that could have ended his career. After being a backup driver for Racing Bulls in 2023 and 2024, he suddenly got promoted to the main Red Bull team in 2025, replacing Sergio Perez. But his start wasn’t great.
He struggled with the difficult ’25 Red Bull car, which only Max Verstappen seemed to handle well. Lawson qualified near the back and crashed out in Australia, then finished 12th in China. Red Bull lost patience and swapped him with Yuki Tsunoda from Racing Bulls’ junior team.
Though Tsunoda didn’t do much better and was dropped at the end of the year, Lawson quietly rebuilt his reputation in the second team. He scored his first points in Monaco and finished in the top ten seven more times, ending the year 14th in the championship.
But 2026 was a turning point. Many drivers have had trouble adapting to the new F1 cars that use 50% electric power, but Lawson has taken to the Ford-powered VCARB 03 really well. He started getting results quickly in 2026.
After missing points at the Australian GP, Lawson went on an amazing streak, scoring points in seven of the next eight races. He’s now solidly inside the top 10 in the championship. In the second half of the year, he kept strong, earning points in eight of the next 11 races.
He’s the highest-ranked driver outside the top teams like Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren. Lawson shared how he improved so much:
“I’ve always believed we could do well, but you never know in F1. Sometimes a team brings an upgrade and it changes everything. Once our upgrades started working as expected this year, it was clear that we were on the right track. The team did a great job making sure the balance of the car stayed strong.”
Meanwhile, his rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad has done well for his first season but hasn’t reached Lawson’s level yet. Lindblad has 38 points to Lawson’s 89, and Lawson’s points alone put him ahead of Alpine, who are trying to catch Racing Bulls for fifth place in the constructor’s championship.
With only three races left, Racing Bulls seems almost sure to finish fifth, which would be a record for the junior Red Bull team.
Despite his great form, there were doubts about Lawson’s place next year. With Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov showing promise in F2 and shining in practice at the Mexico City GP, many thought Lawson’s time at the team was ending. His options elsewhere looked slim, and he wasn’t sure about his future.
“I don’t know,” Lawson told Sky F1. “It’s tough, especially at the end of the season when things go down to the wire. I just want to keep racing in Formula 1 and show my best every weekend. I think we’ve had a good year.”
Team boss Alan Permane took a careful approach: “We’re looking at everything carefully and don’t want to rush. I’m confident we’ll make the right choice.”
Things got a bit tricky when Lawson clashed with Max Verstappen during practice, causing damage to both cars. Verstappen later said Lawson should have acted smarter in a fight for his seat. But Lawson bounced back with another points finish, while Lindblad crashed out – showing his maturity difference clearly.
Lawson also had a great race in Brazil, qualifying third and finishing seventh, proving he can perform even with contract pressure.
In the end, his strong results won him another year with Racing Bulls alongside Lindblad. Tsolov will stay as reserve driver for both Red Bull and Racing Bulls.
So why pick Lawson over Tsolov? Team boss Permane said, “Both drivers have shown great potential, but we believe this line-up offers the best mix of experience and ambition. It’s a solid foundation to build on and push forward in 2027.”
Looking ahead to 2028, Lawson may face a tougher battle. With only a one-year contract extension and younger drivers like Isack Hadjar moving ahead, the Kiwi will need to keep proving himself to stay in F1.