Liam Lawson remains in a holding pattern over his place on the 2027 Formula 1 grid even though he currently sits ninth in the drivers’ championship. Racing Bulls are still assessing three drivers for their two seats and have yet to name either of their 2027 racers.
Team principal Alan Permane has explained that the squad prefers a careful review rather than a hurried call. Lawson, whose results have helped Racing Bulls sit fifth in the constructors’ standings, has openly wondered what else the team expects from him after a solid season.
The New Zealander is up against current team-mate Arvid Lindblad and Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov. With most other teams already locked in for next year, the wait has left Lawson with fewer fallback options if he is not retained.
Liam Lawson has collected 83 points this season. He finished seventh in Bahrain, Singapore and Mexico. In Mexico, he recovered from a qualifying disqualification to start from the pit lane and still crossed the line in seventh.
Those efforts have not yet locked in his seat. Speaking ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Lawson made his frustration clear.
“I don’t know what else they want me to do, but yeah, it’s just one of those things at the moment.”
He also noted the practical problem created by the late timing.
“When something like this is pushed all the way to the end, you’re left with not really any options, so it’s not the easiest situation. Obviously, I want to be racing in F1, and I’m trying to show my best every weekend. I feel like we’ve had a good year.”
Alan Permane said the team is looking beyond pure race results. Racing Bulls must also develop talent through the Red Bull junior programme while competing in the championship.
“We are trying to apply a little bit of science and that takes some time. We are looking at everything and studying, analysing, and time is on our side.”
Arvid Lindblad is 11th in the standings, 45 points behind Lawson, and has scored points in 11 Grands Prix during his rookie year. Nikola Tsolov is second in Formula 2 in his first season in the category and has already won a race there. The Bulgarian finished just 0.126 seconds behind Lindblad on his first Formula 1 practice outing in Mexico.
(More to follow)
