Liam Lawson has admitted he has been given "no assurance" about retaining his seat at Racing Bulls for 2027. Lawson is the highest-placed midfield driver in the F1 Drivers' Championship, with only the Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull drivers ahead of him in the standings. The 24-year-old has scored more than twice as many points as team-mate and rookie Arvid Lindblad and underlined his strong campaign by finishing seventh in Mexico after starting from the pit lane.
Racing Bulls are the only F1 team that has not yet officially confirmed either of its 2027 drivers and it is understood Lawson's seat is under threat from Red Bull junior and Formula 2 title protagonist Nikola Tsolov. Every weekend I'm trying to maximise," Lawson timidly told Sky Sports F1. "In Mexico I gave it everything.
There's definitely no assurance at the moment [for next year]. Right now, I don't know what else to say, really." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Bulgarian driver Tsolov is highly rated by Red Bull as he's competing for the Formula 2 title in his rookie campaign, having been runner-up in Formula 3 last year. The 19-year-old made his F1 practice debut in Mexico and was only one tenth behind Lindblad, which impressed Racing Bulls chief executive Peter Bayer.
"Honestly, [Tsolov's] performance on Friday was superb. It was his first time in the car, and he integrated into the team absolutely perfectly," Bayer told Austrian outlet ORF. "Regarding the driver decision, he put in a fantastic performance.
That decision rests with [team principal] Alan [Permane], and he will make it, or rather, announce it when he feels the time is right." Asked whether Lawson has done everything he can to prove himself, Bayer said: "That's the general consensus in the paddock. "At the same time, our role, as the leading developer of talent in Formula 1, is to continuously bring new drivers through. We've brought 22 drivers into Formula 1, including the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and others.
"That's why I say that, at the end of the day, the decision lies with Alan. And he will make the right choice for the team. We chatted about that briefly on Saturday." Despite signing a multi-year contract which began at the start of this year, Valtteri Bottas' future at Cadillac is up in the air.
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