Sky Sports F1 pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz has publicly challenged Racing Bulls regarding Liam Lawson’s unconfirmed future with the team. This comes after Lawson secured a third-place start for the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix, equalling his career-best grid slot. The team remains the sole outfit yet to announce its driver lineup for the 2027 Formula 1 season.
Lawson initially qualified fifth in a rain-affected session at the Interlagos circuit on Saturday, November 7. Grid penalties for George Russell and Charles Leclerc subsequently promoted the New Zealander to third on the starting grid. Lando Norris secured pole position for the event.
Kravitz confronted Racing Bulls Team Principal Alan Permane in the paddock following qualifying. He expressed his perplexity over the ongoing speculation surrounding Lawson’s seat, particularly given the driver’s strong performance.
“Liam Lawson is third on the grid in a Racing Bulls, they can’t sack him now. Even if Nikola Tsolov is Max Verstappen, Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso all rolled into one, where’s the harm in giving Tsolov another year just to cement himself?”
Lawson is currently in his first full Formula 1 season with Racing Bulls, partnered by Arvid Lindblad. He occupies ninth place in the 2026 Drivers’ standings, leading the midfield drivers outside the top four teams.
Lawson has accumulated 83 points this season, more than double his rookie teammate Lindblad’s 38 points. His consistent performances include a seventh-place finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix, where he recovered from a pit lane start.
Despite these results, Lawson has received no assurance regarding his retention for the 2027 season. He has publicly stated his uncertainty about what more the team requires from him to secure his position.
The uncertainty stems from Racing Bulls evaluating three contenders for its two 2027 seats: Lawson, Lindblad, and Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov. Tsolov is currently second in the 2026 Formula 2 championship.
Tsolov has achieved six F2 race wins in 2026, including three consecutive victories and a double win at Silverstone. He also made his Formula 1 Free Practice 1 debut at the Mexico City Grand Prix, finishing 12th fastest.
Additionally, Tsolov completed a Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) test at Imola in August 2026, driving a Racing Bulls VCARB 02. He requires 40 Super Licence points to qualify for F1, which he is on track to achieve by finishing in the top five of the F2 standings.
Permane recently signed a long-term contract extension as Team Principal and Co-CEO Sporting for Racing Bulls until 2031. This agreement provides leadership stability for the Faenza-based squad.
Permane indicated that the team is applying a “little bit of science” to its driver decision-making process. He emphasized that outright pace and speed are primary considerations, alongside driver development.
Racing Bulls is currently contending for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, which would mark their best-ever finish. The team’s decision on its 2027 driver lineup is expected in the coming weeks.
