Liam Lawson’s impressive performances in the 2026 Formula 1 season have strengthened his position within the Red Bull driver programme, but his future remains uncertain. Despite the New Zealander delivering consistently strong results, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has made it clear that the decision over his 2027 seat rests entirely with Racing Bulls.
Lawson has enjoyed a significant turnaround in fortunes after experiencing a difficult introduction to the senior Red Bull team in 2025. His recent performances have demonstrated greater confidence, consistency and maturity, making him one of the most interesting names in the ongoing driver-market discussions.
However, strong performances do not automatically guarantee a contract extension in Formula 1, particularly within Red Bull’s highly competitive driver development structure.
Mekies has praised Lawson’s progress but is determined not to interfere with the decision-making process at Racing Bulls.
MEKIES IMPRESSED BY LAWSON’S REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENT
Lawson’s recent performances have attracted considerable attention throughout the Formula 1 paddock.
The 24-year-old has demonstrated that he has learned valuable lessons from his previous experiences, particularly following his unsuccessful promotion to Red Bull Racing at the beginning of the 2025 campaign.
His latest opportunity with the senior team, when he temporarily replaced the injured Isack Hadjar, provided another opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities.
Unlike his difficult first experience alongside Max Verstappen, Lawson showed improved adaptability and delivered encouraging performances.
Mekies has been particularly impressed by the progress he has made since returning to Racing Bulls.
The Red Bull boss believes Lawson has taken another significant step forward, highlighting his recent performances as evidence of how much he has developed as a Formula 1 driver.
His praise is particularly important because Lawson’s performances have strengthened the argument that he deserves another opportunity to establish himself in Formula 1.
WHY RACING BULLS HAS THE FINAL SAY
Although Racing Bulls operates within the wider Red Bull Formula 1 structure, Mekies has emphasised that the junior team’s driver decisions should be made independently.
This distinction is important because speculation surrounding Lawson’s future has increasingly focused on whether Red Bull’s senior management would support retaining him.
Mekies has refused to turn the situation into a decision for the senior team.
He explained that Racing Bulls has the necessary information, experience and personnel to determine its own driver line-up.
He also highlighted the importance of allowing the junior team to manage its own development pathway.
Red Bull’s driver programme has historically provided opportunities for promising talents to progress towards the senior team. Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar are examples of drivers who have benefited from that structure.
However, Mekies believes Racing Bulls must have the freedom to determine how its drivers develop before any potential promotion.
His comments also demonstrate a willingness to respect the responsibilities of Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane.
Rather than publicly influencing the decision, Mekies has made it clear that the responsibility belongs to Permane and his colleagues.
LAWSON’S 2026 PERFORMANCES HAVE STRENGTHENED HIS CASE
Perhaps the strongest argument in Lawson’s favour is his performance throughout the current campaign.
The New Zealander has established himself as one of the most consistent midfield competitors, collecting 89 championship points and sitting ninth in the drivers’ standings following the Brazilian Grand Prix.
His seventh-place finish at Interlagos was another impressive demonstration of his growing confidence.
Lawson qualified fifth before grid penalties promoted him to third on the starting grid. He subsequently made an excellent start and briefly found himself running second in difficult wet conditions.
Although the faster cars eventually moved ahead, he secured seventh place after Charles Leclerc received a post-race penalty.
The result continued an impressive run of performances that has helped Racing Bulls strengthen its position in the constructors’ championship.
More importantly, Lawson has demonstrated that he can deliver valuable points without necessarily having the fastest machinery.
That ability is particularly important for midfield teams operating with limited resources and smaller performance margins compared with the leading constructors.
A driver who consistently extracts strong results from an imperfect package can become an extremely valuable asset.
Lawson appears to be making exactly that argument on the track.
NIKOLA TSOLOV REPRESENTS AN IMPORTANT ALTERNATIVE
Despite Lawson’s progress, Racing Bulls must also consider the opportunities available within Red Bull’s driver development programme.
Nikola Tsolov has emerged as a potential candidate for a Formula 1 promotion, creating another complication in the battle for the available seat.
Promoting a young driver would fit naturally with Red Bull’s long-standing philosophy of identifying promising talent and giving them opportunities at the highest level.
However, replacing an established Formula 1 driver with an inexperienced prospect is not necessarily a straightforward decision.
Lawson offers something that cannot easily be measured through junior-category results: experience, technical feedback and an established understanding of Formula 1 race weekends.
He also understands the demands of the Racing Bulls environment and has already demonstrated that he can work effectively alongside the team’s young drivers.
For Tsolov, meanwhile, a promotion would represent an enormous opportunity to begin his Formula 1 career.
The challenge for Racing Bulls is determining whether immediate performance or long-term development should take priority.
There is no guarantee that promoting another junior driver would produce better results than retaining Lawson.
ALAN PERMANE FACES A CRUCIAL DECISION
While Mekies has deliberately distanced himself from the situation, Alan Permane faces an important responsibility.
The Racing Bulls team principal must consider more than simply the number of points scored by each driver.
Consistency, qualifying performance, race management, technical feedback, development potential and the ability to work with the engineering team are all important considerations.
Lawson’s recent performances have certainly strengthened his position.
His experience could also prove valuable as Formula 1 continues preparing for the next stage of its technical development.
Racing Bulls cannot afford to make a decision based exclusively on short-term results. The team needs a driver pairing capable of delivering competitive performances while supporting its longer-term ambitions.
Keeping Lawson would provide continuity and experience alongside Arvid Lindblad.
Promoting another young driver could offer additional development opportunities, but it would also introduce uncertainty.
Permane must decide which option offers the strongest overall package.
WHAT LAWSON’S SITUATION REVEALS ABOUT RED BULL’S DRIVER POLICY
There is another important dimension to this story.
Lawson’s situation highlights the complicated nature of Red Bull’s driver development system.
The organisation has traditionally been aggressive when promoting young drivers, sometimes making important decisions after relatively short periods of evaluation.
Lawson experienced both sides of that approach.
His rapid promotion to the senior team in 2025 created enormous expectations, but the circumstances proved difficult. He was subsequently returned to Racing Bulls, forcing him to rebuild his confidence and reputation.
His current performances suggest that the experience has helped him become a more complete driver.
This raises an important question about how Formula 1 teams evaluate young talent.
A difficult introduction to a top team does not necessarily mean a driver lacks the ability to compete at the highest level.
Sometimes, the timing of a promotion, the competitiveness of the machinery and the pressure surrounding a particular team environment can significantly influence results.
Lawson’s improvement is a reminder that driver development is not always a straight line.
For Red Bull, retaining talented drivers could also become increasingly important as competition for experienced Formula 1 personnel intensifies.
WILL LIAM LAWSON KEEP HIS RACING BULLS SEAT FOR 2027?
At this stage, Lawson’s future remains officially unresolved.
However, his recent performances have made a strong argument for retaining his services.
There is also growing speculation that Racing Bulls could move towards offering him another contract, although no final agreement should be assumed until an official announcement is made.
The Brazilian Grand Prix was another opportunity for Lawson to demonstrate his value, and he delivered another competitive performance.
Mekies’ comments should also be interpreted carefully.
His refusal to make the decision does not necessarily indicate a lack of support for Lawson. Instead, it reflects his position that Racing Bulls should be responsible for its own driver selection.
That distinction could become increasingly important as Red Bull continues to evolve its management structure.
For Lawson, the best response remains the same: continue delivering strong performances and leave the decision-makers with as few reasons as possible to overlook him.
OUR VERDICT: RACING BULLS WOULD BE TAKING A RISK BY REPLACING LAWSON
From a competitive perspective, retaining Lawson appears to be the more sensible option.
He has demonstrated that he can score points consistently, manage difficult race conditions and contribute meaningfully to the team’s championship ambitions.
His improvement since the beginning of 2025 also suggests that his development is far from complete.
Replacing him with another junior prospect might offer long-term potential, but it would introduce an unnecessary element of uncertainty into a team that has benefited from Lawson’s growing consistency.
That does not mean Tsolov should be overlooked. Red Bull has built its reputation partly on giving talented young drivers opportunities.
Nevertheless, Formula 1 is ultimately a results-driven championship, and Lawson is currently providing evidence of his value on the track.
Racing Bulls must therefore balance its commitment to developing young talent against the importance of retaining a driver who is already delivering competitive results.
Our prediction is that Lawson has done enough to make himself a leading candidate for the 2027 seat.
The final decision belongs to Racing Bulls, but allowing a driver of his current form to leave would be a significant gamble.
For now, Lawson must remain focused on racing while Permane and his management team determine the best direction for the future.
One thing is certain: the New Zealander has given Racing Bulls plenty to think about.
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Reporting context: The article incorporates developments surrounding the November 9 Brazilian Grand Prix and Mekies’ November 10 comments.
