Lawson backed to keep Racing Bulls seat despite Tsolov rumours

Liam Lawson doesn’t need to worry about his Racing Bulls seat amid rumours that Nikola Tsolov could replace him next season, with James Hinchliffe predicting the Racing Bulls line-up will remain unchanged.

Lawson has been Racing Bulls’ standout driver this season, scoring the bulk of the team’s 83 points.

Liam Lawson backed to remain at Racing Bulls for F1 2027

Such has been his form, he was the one called up when Red Bull needed a replacement for Isack Hadjar after the Frenchman fractured his wrist in the build-up to the Dutch Grand Prix.

Lawson scored points in two of his three appearances for Red Bull, adding 14 points to the team’s tally despite the short notice and driving an unfamiliar car.

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies applauded the 24-year-old at the Spanish GP, which was Lawson’s final outing with Red Bull.

“I think he’s done a very good job,” Mekies told PlanetF1.com and other accredited media in Madrid.

“I think we all know how difficult it is to jump to a different team, to a different car, and I think that he has done that to the best of what could have been our expectations.”

But despite adding that Lawson, who contested two races with Red Bull at the beginning of 2025 before being demoted to Racing Bulls, had “continued to grow as a driver”, Red Bull announced a week after the Madring race that it would continue with Hadjar next season.

Red Bull’s decision leaves Lawson with just one option for F1 2027, which is to continue with Racing Bulls.

That, though, has been the subject of rumours given Red Bull junior driver Nikola Tsolov is seeking his ticket onto the grid.

Second in the Formula 2 championship, the Bulgarian is the next in line within the Red Bull junior ranks for a Formula 1 promotion.

However, Hinchliffe doesn’t see Red Bull dropping Lawson and changing the Racing Bulls line-up for next season.

In fact, he reckons the New Zealander has shown enough performance to warrant a Red Bull race seat.

“He’s done plenty to justify being back at that team,” Hinchcliffe told the F1 Nation podcast.

“I imagine that line-up’s unchanged next year.”

“It just stings right now,” he added of Lawson being passed over for a Red Bull promotion.

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Hinchcliffe’s fellow podcast pundit Alex Brundle says Lawson can be proud of his performances this season.

His Racing Bulls homecoming in Baku did end on a bit of a downer when teammate Arvid Lindblad spun him around.

“Hopping up to the main team, delivering the performances, hopping back down again, being on the pace, I completely agree,” he said.

“At least you can go back to the garage with your head held high and go, ‘Well, I was taken out of the race today. What is it you want to do me about it? I was ahead of that guy because that’s how I ended up backwards in the runoff area’.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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