Liam Lawson’s position at Visa Cash App Racing Bulls for the 2027 Formula 1 season is under review. The New Zealander’s contract with the Red Bull-owned team concludes at the end of the current 2026 campaign. Discussions regarding his future are anticipated to commence during the upcoming summer break.
Lawson has completed a stronger 2026 season compared to his 2025 performance. He has accumulated 43 championship points, placing him ninth in the drivers’ standings. He failed to score points in only three races during the first half of the season.
The competition for a Racing Bulls seat has intensified with the emergence of Nikola Tsolov. Tsolov, a Red Bull junior driver, is currently leading the Formula 2 championship in his rookie season. He holds a 20-point advantage over Gabriele Mini.
Tsolov has secured six victories in 2026, including a record-breaking three consecutive wins. These victories occurred across the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone rounds.
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has publicly identified Tsolov as ‘next in line’ within the Red Bull driver development programme. Permane confirmed that Tsolov is ‘on the radar’ for a potential role with the team.
Tsolov joined the Red Bull junior programme in 2025 after two seasons in FIA Formula 3. Despite his strong F2 performance, he does not yet possess an FIA Super Licence. He has also not participated in an F1 Free Practice session.
Red Bull plans to provide Tsolov with a Test of Previous Cars (TPC) session in the autumn. This is intended to help him accumulate the necessary mileage for a Super Licence application.
Tsolov has expressed confidence in securing an F1 opportunity if his current form continues. However, he confirmed that no formal discussions regarding his F1 future have taken place yet.
The Red Bull junior programme faces a decision with three promising drivers—Lawson, Tsolov, and Arvid Lindblad—vying for potentially two seats at Racing Bulls. Lindblad is Lawson’s current teammate.
Helmut Marko, who previously oversaw the Red Bull junior programme, departed his role at the end of 2025. Gwen Lagrue has since joined Red Bull from Mercedes to take on a similar talent development position.
Lawson anticipates that formal talks with Red Bull management will occur during the summer break. These discussions will determine his placement for the 2027 season.
‘I believe these talks usually take place during the summer break. So I’m sure there will be discussions about it,’ Lawson stated.
The outcome of these negotiations will clarify whether Lawson remains with the Faenza-based Racing Bulls outfit or explores other opportunities on the Formula 1 grid.
