Lawson Admits 'No Assurance' Over Racing Bulls Seat for 2027
Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson says he has been given no assurance about keeping his Racing Bulls seat in 2027. The team has not yet named either of its drivers, and Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov is understood to be a threat to his place.
New Zealand driver Liam Lawson, who races for the Racing Bulls team in the Formula 1 World Championship, has admitted he has received no assurance about retaining his seat for the 2027 season. Racing Bulls is the only F1 team that has not officially confirmed either of its drivers for next year, leaving Lawson's future unclear ahead of this weekend's Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
At 24, Lawson is the highest-placed driver from the midfield teams in the Drivers' Championship, with only the Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull drivers ahead of him. He has scored more than twice as many points as his rookie team-mate Arvid Lindblad. In Mexico he finished seventh despite starting from the pit lane.
Lawson was restrained when asked about his position. He said he is trying to maximise every weekend and gave everything in Mexico, but that nothing is certain for next year. He described it as a tough sport.
A challenger from the Red Bull system
His seat is understood to be under threat from Nikola Tsolov, a Bulgarian driver in the Red Bull junior programme. The 19-year-old is a rookie in Formula 2 and is competing for the title, after finishing runner-up in Formula 3 last year. In Mexico he made his F1 practice debut and ended just one tenth of a second behind Lindblad.
Racing Bulls chief executive Peter Bayer called Tsolov's Friday performance superb and said he integrated into the team perfectly. According to Bayer, the decision belongs to team principal Alan Permane, who will announce it when he feels the time is right. Asked whether Lawson had done everything to prove himself, Bayer said that was the general consensus in the paddock, but added that the team's role is to keep bringing new drivers into Formula 1. He said the team has brought 22 drivers into the series, including Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.
