Liam Lawson questions his Formula 1 future despite strong Racing Bulls campaign

Liam Lawson is left wondering what more he possibly has to prove, admitting he simply does not know what else they want him to do as his Formula 1 future remains up in the air. The Racing Bulls driver has put together a genuinely strong campaign, yet he finds himself waiting on a decision while most of the grid has already locked in their 2027 line-ups.

Ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Lawson pointed to his on-track resume when asked if his recent results should be enough to secure his seat. His year features a trio of P7 finishes in Bahrain, Singapore, and Mexico, capped off by a brilliant charge from the pit lane to seventh last time out in Mexico City following a tricky Friday penalty. He sits ninth in the standings with 83 points to his name, holding a commanding 42-point advantage over Alpine's Pierre Gasly as the undisputed best of the rest.

Those consistent top-10 finishes are doing heavy lifting for the team as well, helping Racing Bulls pull away from Alpine and maintain a tight grip on P5 in the Constructors' Championship. It would mark the best-ever result for the outfit, stretching all the way back to their Minardi roots. Yet, Team Principal Alan Permane has previously laid out that they have three contenders eyeing two seats for 2027: Lawson, current team-mate Arvid Lindblad, and Red Bull Junior Nikola Tsolov. The latter recently logged his first FP1 outing at the Mexico City Grand Prix, finishing P12 and just 0.126s adrift of Lindblad.

Because the driver market has moved so fast, waiting until the end of the season leaves Lawson in a brutal spot with virtually no other options on the table if he gets pushed out. Should he lose his seat, a reserve role might be his only path to stay in the F1 paddock. For now, though, the New Zealander is refusing to let the noise distract him, pointing out that his speed has been solid all year and that he feels completely at home in the car. Attention now turns to Sao Paulo, where the machine should work well, though changing weather over the weekend might throw the ultimate curveball.