Racing Bulls podium prediction could hand Lawson or Lindblad Red Bull edge

Liam Lawson or Arvid Lindblad could strengthen their case to replace Max Verstappen if Racing Bulls delivers the podium finish James Hinchcliffe believes is coming this season.

Racing Bulls has been the standout team in the midfield, scoring points in all but one Grand Prix, Miami, and recording five double points-hauls.

Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad backed for Racing Bulls podium

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The team sits fifth in the Constructors’ Championship with 66 points, the only one of the top six teams yet to secure a podium finish.

That, though, is just a matter of time according to former IndyCar driver Hinchcliffe.

Although Racing Bulls’ best results this season have been Lawson’s pair of P6s in Monaco and Britain, the Canadian believes Racing Bulls could secure a top-three race result this season as it did last year with Isack Hadjar at the Dutch Grand Prix.

That Sunday, Racing Bulls took advantage of three Safety Car periods that had Hadjar third at the final restart. He finished the Grand Prix three seconds behind race winner Oscar Piastri, and two shy of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Hinchcliffe has predicted Racing Bulls will claim another podium this season.

“Not unlike how Hadjar pulled one off last season for the Faenza squad, I feel there is a chance for one this season with how well that team has developed and how strong both drivers are at the moment,” he told F1TV.

“I’m not going to say which one I think could be the more likely candidate, simply because I don’t know.

“Both are delivering at a very high level throughout the weekends, and if things fall just right – maybe in our first rain-affected race of the year – it wouldn’t surprise me if either Lawson or Lindblad were there to capitalise.”

That podium could yet decide who steps up to Red Bull, should Verstappen leave, or who is dropped altogether if Red Bull decide to promote Formula 2 driver Nikola Tsolov to Formula 1.

Although multiple sources told PlanetF1.com that Verstappen was in talks with McLaren, it seems he is now expected to remain with his “second family” at Red Bull.

Although Verstappen has a contract that runs through to the end of F1 2028, the 28-year-old is understood to have a clause that he could have activated on the Sunday evening after the Hungarian Grand Prix as he wasn’t in the top two positions in the championship.

But even if he hasn’t, that doesn’t mean Lawson or Lindblad are safe at Racing Bulls.

Tsolov is in the running for a promotion to Formula 1, as the 19-year-old leads the F2 championship after securing six victories in nine race weekends.

However, Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer refuted the rumours that Tsolov would replace Lawson next season.

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“Those are just rumours,” he insisted.

“He’s doing a brilliant job and is a huge talent whom we naturally have on our radar.

“But we’ve only had seven races so far, and Liam and Arvid are doing just as brilliant a job. So it’s not even on the cards at the moment.”

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