Liam Lawson’s chances of staying within the Red Bull structure for 2026 looked slim, but recent events might just give him a lifeline in the team’s decision-making.
He was dropped from Red Bull after only two races in 2025. He did not manage to escape Q1 or score points during that stint, which led to his replacement by Yuki Tsunoda, while the Kiwi driver was sent back to Racing Bulls.
Tsunoda has not managed to make much more of an impact either. He has put up just 25 points over 19 races for Red Bull, whereas Lawson has slowly found his feet again since moving back down the grid.
Isack Hadjar has generally been stronger over the season, showing good speed and consistency as a rookie. Even so, Lawson is closing the gap between them and now sits on 36 points with three races remaining.
Hadjar remains the frontrunner to join Max Verstappen at Red Bull in 2026. Still, nothing will be decided until after this year’s title race is settled – and if Lawson finishes strong, he could still have a role in shaping that outcome.
Liam Lawson giving Red Bull a dilemma over decision to promote Isack Hadjar
Rachel Brookes is convinced that Isack Hadjar will be taking the seat alongside Max Verstappen. But Lawson’s recent form has given Red Bull something to think about, according to the F1 journalist.
She explained on Midweek F1: “Isack Hadjar is in the Red Bull next year. So, essentially, 100% I believe Isack Hadjar is in the second seat next year. There’s been no announcement.
“They said they would decide after Mexico. They’re not announcing at the moment. I think Liam Lawson’s thrown a little bit of a spanner in the works in that he’s done so well recently.
“And so I think the Racing Bulls seats, in my opinion, would be Lawson and probably Arvid Lindblad, because they seem really keen to get Arvid Lindblad in the seat.
“So, I would look at Hadjar moving up to Red Bull. I don’t think there’s a place for Yuki, and I think sadly he’s just shown that he’s just struggling so much.”
Could Liam Lawson find his way back into Red Bull’s main team?
Lawson is expected to stay with Racing Bulls, with Hadjar likely moving up and Arvid Lindblad stepping into Formula 1. Karun Chandhok backs the idea, saying the New Zealander brings ‘stability’ to his team, which explains why he would keep him over Tsunoda.
But Brookes thinks there might be a shift happening behind the scenes, and that Lawson could be getting another look from the main team.
Gary Anderson said he would like to see Lawson get another shot at Red Bull. Anderson believes the 23-year-old was not given enough time in the car, especially since he had not raced at Melbourne or Shanghai before 2025 and had limited time with the RB21.
However, Red Bull have not been shy about pointing out areas where he needs to improve. After a seventh-place finish in Brazil, one of just six points finishes this year, Helmut Marko still called him too ‘inconsistent.’
