Lawson closing in on F1 2027 stay with Racing Bulls
Liam Lawson is closing in on a 2027 Formula 1 race deal with Racing Bulls following his standout performance over the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend.
Although a final decision has not yet been made by Red Bull's main shareholders, The Race has learned that Lawson is on track to get the nod.
Lawson has faced an anxious few weeks waiting for news about whether Racing Bulls will retain him for 2027 - or if Red Bull junior driver Nikola Tsolov will be promoted as team-mate to Arvid Lindblad.
An official announcement is now expected before the next race in Las Vegas.
The situation between Lawson and Tsolov has been on a knife edge for a while, with many different options being considered about what would be the best direction for Racing Bulls.
On the one hand, Lawson's stellar season - which puts him ninth in the drivers' standings and has been critical to his team's fifth-place ranking in the constructors' battle - makes it logical to keep him.
Furthermore, he also offers a perfect benchmark to Lindblad to gauge the true potential of his team-mate and the progress made in Lindblad's second year in F1 in 2027.
However, Red Bull is also aware that it invests heavily in its junior programme to help prepare youngsters for its main team - so a Tsolov promotion would make sense to evaluate him as soon as possible following his success in Formula 2 this year.
Tsolov is currently second in the standings ahead of the final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but could be given an open goal to secure the crown if main title rival Rafael Camara remains with Haas in F1.
Another argument about going for Tsolov is that if Racing Bulls is a breeding ground for future Red Bull talent, then Lawson is not the right fit as he has already had the opportunity at the senior team.
Amid speculation over the topic at Interlagos last weekend, team principal Alan Permane was quite coy about what direction Racing Bulls was leaning towards.
"We're trying to apply a little bit of science, and that takes some time," he said.
"So we are looking at everything and studying, analysing, and time is on our side. We're not in a rush to do anything, and I'm very confident the right decision will be made."
It is understood, however, that Racing Bulls viewed the performance of its drivers over the triple-header of Austin/Mexico/Brazil as critical to helping finalise its call on the 2027 line-up.
Tsolov certainly boosted his chances with a strong showing during his FP1 outing in Mexico, which came on the same weekend that Lawson picked up a grid penalty and annoyed Red Bull's star Max Verstappen with their clash in practice.
Lawson, however, redeemed himself to a certain extent in Mexico with a strong drive to seventh in the race.
But it is Lawson's superb form over the Interlagos weekend that appears to have sealed his position and made it almost impossible for Red Bull to justify dropping him for 2027.
He started third, overtook Lando Norris early in the race to run as high as second, and ended up finishing eighth on the road - promoted to seventh after Charles Leclerc picked up a penalty.
The decision-makers
Lawson is understood to have the backing of Permane, who has been impressed with the speed and consistency of his driver this season.
This support is significant because Permane's authority within the Red Bull ecosystem has been strengthened as a result of his team principal contract extension that was announced last week.
However, as Lawson made clear after the Brazilian GP, Permane is not the only person who decides the line-up - with both Red Bull's F1 team and its energy drinks parent company's shareholders also having a say.
Speaking about the situation, Lawson said: "Obviously, they'll decide on what they do there. I feel like Alan's been extremely supportive to me. I appreciate that a lot.
"And I've enjoyed working closely with him and with the team this year. But, yeah, obviously, it's a big organisation."
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies insisted after the Brazilian GP, however, that he did not have a direct say in the final call over Lawson - and would only ever be called upon for an opinion.
"The Racing Bulls driver decision is down to Racing Bulls," he said, when asked by The Race about Lawson's future.
"As much as we run a common junior programme, we are in the unique position where, when the good guys are coming out from Racing Bulls, we obviously have the possibility to get them to be promoted to Red Bull Racing.
"But how we get to that point is down to them in terms of the F1 stint."
While not wanting to get involved in that situation, Mekies was clear in his praise for what Lawson had done this season with both Racing Bulls and Red Bull, having stood in for the injured Isack Hadjar after the summer break.
"I can only congratulate him for another very strong weekend," he said. "He has been on a fantastic run.
"He has done a very good job with us in the three races where he had to jump in, in an incredible contrast compared to his experience here a year ago at the beginning of the year.
"And certainly, from that point on, we all see that when he returned back to Racing Bulls, he has shown on track another step again. What he showed this weekend is the perfect representation of how strongly he is now performing."
The final sign-off for Lawson therefore appears to be with the shareholders.
It would be unusual, but not impossible, for them to defy the team's preference - especially so soon after Permane committed so solidly to a new contract.
It would also be a huge financial risk to go for an unproven rookie to replace such a strong incumbent, considering how big a role Lawson has played in putting Racing Bulls on course to finish fifth in the constructors' championship - which would be its best-ever finish and is worth millions of dollars in extra prize money.
The 'everyone will be happy' outcome
Speaking last weekend, Permane offered a cryptic message about the final choice being one that would make all drivers happy - which points to Lawson not being dropped.
"I realise it's frustrating for our drivers," he said. "I realise it's frustrating for everyone else, but we want to get it right, and we will get it right. I'm sure when we announce it in the coming weeks, everyone will be happy."
One idea that emerged was for Tsolov to be signed for 2028, with Lawson and Lindblad effectively in a shootout next year to be his future team-mate.
However, it is not thought that this is an option that is seriously being considered, as any calls would likely be for 2027 only.
A logical outcome would be to have Lawson and Lindblad racing, with Tsolov fulfilling a reserve driver role embedded in the team and taking part in all four rookie practice outings.
Lawson himself is taking nothing for granted until he gets the official nod.
However, he was aware of many in the paddock feeling it would be crazy of Red Bull's senior management to drop him after the campaign he has had.
Asked by The Race about the words of encouragement from others, Lawson said: "I appreciate all the support. I've seen it over the last few weeks. It's honestly really nice to see. Obviously, I would love it if it was more from a team.
"But at the moment I'm just trying to enjoy driving the car because, with everything else going on, I don't really know what else I'm meant to do. I don't really know what else I'm meant to say to you guys."
