Liam Lawson Edges Ahead of Nikola Tsolov as Racing Bulls Nears 2027 Call

Liam Lawson lined up third on the grid for Sunday’s Brazilian GP with his Formula 1 future still uncertain. By the time he left Interlagos, he had delivered another impressive performance, and it’s now looking like he might keep his Racing Bulls seat for 2027.

However, Red Bull’s main shareholders haven’t made a final call, and an official announcement is expected before the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 21. That leaves Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov waiting a little longer for his chance.

Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane wouldn’t confirm it, but he dropped a big hint. “I’m sure when we announce it in the coming weeks, everyone will be happy,” he said at Interlagos. Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies went further, saying Lawson’s Brazil drive was “the perfect representation of how strongly he is now performing.”

Mekies has seen it up close. Lawson filled in at Red Bull for three races after Isack Hadjar sustained a wrist injury in training, and Mekies said, “I can only congratulate him for another very strong weekend.”

Racing Bulls has three drivers for two seats. Rookie Arvid Lindblad is expected to stay, although not yet announced, so the real fight seems to be between Lawson and Tsolov, who sits second in the Formula 2 standings, ahead of the final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Two Weekends That Swung the Balance Toward Liam Lawson

Racing Bulls reportedly viewed the Austin, Mexico and Brazil triple-header as critical to finalising the 2027 line-up. In Mexico, Tsolov took over Lawson’s car for first practice. He was P12 in Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls car, suffered from a dead right leg and had to shake it out, yet still finished just 0.126s behind Lindblad.

Lawson’s own weekend went sideways early. A practice clash with Max Verstappen earned him a grid penalty, and then he was ordered to start from the pit lane following multiple technical infringements. He fought up to ninth on the road and was classified seventh after penalties for Oscar Piastri and Franco Colapinto.

“Ultimately, it was a good race to come from where we started in the pit lane,” Lawson said afterward.

Brazil went even better. He started third, overtook Lando Norris early to run as high as second and finished eighth on track, then moved up to seventh when Charles Leclerc got a penalty. That form has put him ninth in the drivers’ standings, and Racing Bulls is fifth in the Constructors’ standings. That would be its best-ever result, and it’s worth millions in prize money.

Why Red Bull Is Taking Its Time in Making a Decision on Liam Lawson

Permane says there’s no hurry. “We’re trying to apply a little bit of science, and that takes some time,” he said in Brazil.

Mekies insists the decision “is down to Racing Bulls,” but the final sign-off reportedly rests with the shareholders, who could theoretically defy the team’s preference.

Red Bull spends heavily on its junior program, and Permane once called Tsolov “next in line”. A likely compromise is a reserve role with Racing Bulls, taking part in all four rookie practice outings.

Lawson has heard fans and people in the paddock making his case. “Obviously, I would love it if it was more from a team,” he said, while calling Permane “extremely supportive”.

He’s done all his talking on the track. “I don’t really know what else I’m meant to say to you guys.”

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