News Summary
- Liam Lawson sits ninth in the 2026 F1 championship with 65 points and is currently the leading midfield driver
- The New Zealander also scored 14 points during a three-race Red Bull stint while Isack Hadjar was injured
- Lawson is considered the frontrunner for a 2027 Racing Bulls seat, but F2 contender Nikola Tsolov remains a serious alternative
Liam Lawson has spent 2026 answering almost every question Racing Bulls could reasonably ask of him.
He has scored consistently, established himself as the leading midfield driver in the championship and helped Racing Bulls climb to fifth in the Constructors’ standings. When Red Bull unexpectedly needed him to replace the injured Isack Hadjar, Lawson adapted quickly enough to score points in two of three Grands Prix before returning to his regular team.
Yet with seven rounds remaining, Lawson still does not have a confirmed Formula 1 seat for 2027.
The reason has increasingly little to do with what the New Zealander has done wrong. Instead, Red Bull faces a familiar problem: its junior programme has produced another driver demanding an opportunity just as its existing Racing Bulls line-up is delivering.
Lawson has produced the consistency Red Bull wanted
Lawson’s position is considerably different from a year ago.
His 2025 campaign contained enough strong performances to earn another season, but consistency remained a question. In 2026, that has changed.
Lawson arrives at Singapore ninth in the Drivers’ Championship with 65 points, while Racing Bulls holds fifth in the Constructors’ standings. His season has included repeated top-10 finishes and performances that have allowed the Faenza team to establish itself at the front of the midfield.
Sepang provided the latest example. Lawson recovered from P11 on the grid to finish seventh after making one of the strongest starts of his career, adding another six points immediately before discussions over his future enter their decisive phase.
“I don’t feel like there’s much more I could have done this year,” Lawson said when asked about his 2027 prospects. “We’ve had a good season, and at the moment, [we’re] in a good place in the championship, and that’s where I’m trying to stay.” He expects a decision within the next few weeks.
Red Bull call-up strengthened Lawson’s case
Lawson also passed an unexpected test during the second half of the season.
Hadjar’s wrist injury created another opportunity at Red Bull, bringing Lawson back to the team after his difficult two-race spell there in 2025. This time, he was considerably better prepared.
The New Zealander scored 14 points across three races, including seventh at Zandvoort and sixth in Madrid. F1’s own assessment concluded that the stint improved Lawson’s standing inside the Red Bull organisation even if a permanent return to the senior team was not expected.
Lawson himself believes the experience may help his case because of the difficulty involved in switching cars during a season, but he has avoided presenting those three races as decisive. His priority remains Racing Bulls.
Tsolov is the reason the decision remains difficult
Lawson’s biggest problem is not a lack of results. It is Nikola Tsolov.
The Bulgarian has emerged as the next major prospect in Red Bull’s junior system after a rapid rise through the feeder categories. Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has publicly described him as “next in line” for promotion to Formula 1.
Red Bull has already started preparing him for that possibility.
Tsolov completed 690km in a 2025 Racing Bulls car at Imola during his first Formula 1 test, giving the organisation an opportunity to evaluate his adaptation to Grand Prix machinery. Permane praised his composure and speed after the test.
That creates a difficult choice because Arvid Lindblad has also strengthened his position during an impressive rookie season. Formula 1’s latest analysis expects Lindblad to remain and identifies Lawson as the frontrunner for the second seat, with Tsolov the alternative.
There are therefore three credible candidates for two cars.
Keeping Lawson comes with an opportunity cost
Red Bull’s driver programme has historically existed to promote young talent rather than provide long-term security.
Keeping Lawson and Lindblad would give Racing Bulls continuity and retain two drivers who have already demonstrated they can score consistently. But it would also leave Tsolov without an obvious Formula 1 promotion while his junior career has momentum.
Promoting Tsolov creates the opposite problem. Red Bull would gain another highly rated young driver but risk losing Lawson after his strongest and most consistent F1 season. At 24, the New Zealander also remains young enough to continue developing rather than simply providing an experienced benchmark.
That explains why Racing Bulls has been reluctant to rush the decision. Permane has repeatedly praised both current drivers while acknowledging Tsolov’s progress.
Singapore gives Lawson another chance to strengthen his position
Lawson arrives at Marina Bay with a useful history at the circuit.
Singapore was where he scored his first Formula 1 points in 2023, finishing ninth while substituting for Daniel Ricciardo. Three years later, he returns trying to protect ninth place in the championship while his future is again being decided.
The Singapore GP’s sprint format also creates two scoring opportunities across the weekend. Lawson has already said he intends to concentrate on maintaining his championship position rather than the discussions taking place around him.
For Racing Bulls, the decision is more complicated. Lawson’s uncertainty exists not because 2026 has failed to make his case, but because Red Bull has more drivers ready for Formula 1 than seats available.
GRANDE PRÊMIO follows all the latest Formula 1 news throughout the 2026 season.
F1 today: FAQ
What time is the 2026 Singapore GP?
The Singapore GP starts at 20:00 local time on Sunday, October 11. That is 13:00 in the UK, 08:00 ET in the US and Canada and 17:30 in India. Singapore is a sprint weekend, with sprint qualifying on Friday and the sprint on Saturday.
Why does George Russell have a grid penalty in Singapore?
Russell has exhausted his permitted allocation of four engines after suffering a power-unit failure at Sepang. Mercedes must introduce another unit, triggering a grid penalty for Sunday’s Grand Prix. The penalty does not apply to Saturday’s sprint.
Can Kimi Antonelli win the F1 championship in Singapore?
No. Antonelli leads Russell by 84 points, 320 to 236, but cannot mathematically secure the 2026 title in Singapore. His first opportunity to become world champion comes at the United States GP in Austin.
Will Liam Lawson race in F1 in 2027?
Lawson does not yet have a confirmed 2027 seat. Formula 1’s official analysis currently considers him the frontrunner to remain alongside Arvid Lindblad at Racing Bulls, but Nikola Tsolov remains under consideration.
