Liam Lawson says he has no ‘other options’ with Racing Bulls F1 future on the line

Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson has shed light on his current F1 plight, emphasising how his team’s reluctance to make a decision on his future has narrowed his own choices.

The Kiwi has been the class of the midfield this year, easily being the best driver in 2026 outside the ‘Big Four’ of Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren.

Now though, with Lawson aged 24, his Racing Bulls team is mulling on whether to bring new blood into the team.

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Liam Lawson unsure on future with no Racing Bulls decision made

Following a baptism of fire in his first full F1 season last year, when he was dropped by Red Bull after two races, Liam Lawson has since rebuilt his reputation at its junior squad.

He’s scored points on 14 of the 19 weekends so far this weekend and, along with teammate Arvid Lindblad, has helped the team cement its place in fifth in the 2026 constructors’ battle.

However, having been in the Red Bull junior programme for a number of years, he’s now seen as one of its elder statesmen.

Having been leapfrogged by Isack Hadjar to the senior squad, there appears no way forward for the New Zealander, and now there’s a new threat emerging.

Red Bull Junior Nikola Tsolov is currently fighting for the F2 championship, and the team is keen to give the Bulgarian a chance at the highest level of racing.

Where this leaves Lawson, though, is a question still to be answered.

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“I don't know,” he told Sky F1 when asked if would remain with Racing Bulls next year.

“Every weekend I've been trying to do my best, and I feel like we've had a really strong year, and we're in a good position.

“We're fighting Alpine, we're pulling away from Alpine every weekend. I don't know what else they want me to do. It’s just one of those things at the moment.”

When asked if he had F1 options outside of the Red Bull camp, Lawson didn’t strike an optimistic tone.

“I mean, it's tough, isn't it? It's the end of the season. When something like this is pushed all the way to the end, you're left with not really any options. So it's not the easiest situation.

“Obviously, I want to be racing Formula 1, and I'm trying to show my best every weekend. And I feel like we've had a good year.”

Cadillac is the only other team to currently have a free seat for next year, but Lawson would be an outside choice behind its American test driver Colton Herta.

Racing Bulls boss speaks out on its driver choices

While the Kiwi’s tone almost had a sense of exasperation about it, his team boss Alan Permane said one reason for the delay making a decision is a change of team approach.

Under its previous principal Christian Horner and young driver guru Helmut Marko, the Red Bull F1 operation had a tendency to move quickly.

Both men liked to see if drivers could sink or swim and came to verdicts fast, but Permane says the organisation is now trying to move away from that approach.

“Red Bull has had a very successful young driver programme, and I think if you guys are critical of it, maybe sometimes the drivers haven't been able to have enough time to settle, or maybe some snap decisions have been made,” he said in the Sao Paulo GP press conference.

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“We're trying to apply a little bit of science, and that takes that takes some time.

“So we are looking at everything and studying, analysing, and time is on our side.

“We're not in a rush to do anything, and I'm very confident the right decision will be made.

"I realise it's frustrating for our drivers. I realise it's frustrating for everyone else, but we want to get it right, and and and we will get it right.

“And I'm sure when we announce it in the coming weeks, everyone will be happy.”