As Motorsport.com Italia reports, Liam Lawson is putting together one of the finest campaigns of his career, yet his seat for the 2027 season is far from guaranteed. The brilliant trajectory of the New Zealand driver has pushed the Racing Bulls squad into a peculiar paradox. Far from struggling, Lawson has delivered a stellar string of performances that have driven the Faenza outfit to a current fifth place in the Constructors' standings.
His speed has not just benefited the Faenza team. When stepped up to replace Isack Hadjar across three race weekends, he also delivered at the wheel of the Red Bull machine by securing a sixth and a seventh place. These drives highlighted a driver who has found genuine consistency and full awareness of his own capabilities.
Yet, the Red Bull setup does not operate like a traditional team. Racing Bulls carries a dual identity: it must secure strong results and fight for championship points, but it also remains a strategic incubator for the Red Bull junior program. The Faenza squad is designed to unearth talents who can eventually make the leap to the main Red Bull squad, and potentially discover another Max Verstappen.
This exact dual mission is what places Lawson in a delicate spot. While he is fast, reliable, and solid, he may not fit the exact profile that Red Bull looks toward for its long-term future. This reality opens the door for Nikola Tsolov. The young Bulgarian driver is enjoying a strong Formula 2 season where he sits second in the standings behind Rafael Câmara, making him the textbook definition of the junior talent the program loves to find and promote.
However, a human element enters the equation under Laurent Mekies. While Helmut Marko has historically managed the junior pool with ruthless clarity, the current leadership could perhaps weigh the hard-fought journey Lawson has traveled to rebuild his career. Granting him another year at Faenza would not necessarily mean abandoning the hunt for the next great superstar, but rather rewarding a driver who earned his keep on the track.
Another path exists to satisfy both needs without sacrificing anyone: keeping Lawson for 2027 while sending Tsolov to Japan's Super Formula. Red Bull famously used this exact development route with Pierre Gasly in 2017 before his own promotion. It would give Tsolov high-level preparation in a demanding championship while letting Lawson keep a seat he fought desperately to retain.
