As a decision looms over who will drive for Red Bull in next year’s Formula One season, Liam Lawson concedes staying with sister side Racing Bulls would still be a victory.
With eight races remaining in 2025, starting in Azerbaijan this weekend, Lawson finds himself in Red Bull’s promotion equation for the second year in a row.
After winning that race in 2024, where he beat Yuki Tsunoda to partner Max Verstappen this year, Lawson’s struggles in Red Bull’s problematic RB21 car led to the two drivers switching after two races.
And while Lawson has for the most part rediscovered his form at Racing Bulls, Tsunoda’s own issues have again left Red Bull with a decision to make over its driver line-up.
The Herald understands Lawson was switched with the intention of potentially moving back but this year’s results have left him on the outer.
In part, that’s down to the form of Racing Bulls teammate Isack Hadjar, who is ninth in the drivers’ championship to Lawson’s 15th and 18 points clear of the Kiwi.
At 20, Frenchman Hadjar has been among the success stories of this season.
After being the final driver on the 20-strong grid to secure his place for 2025, the rookie has finished in the points eight times, including a maiden podium at Zandvoort at the end of August.
Because of that, the Herald understands that while no decision has been formally ratified, Lawson will remain with Racing Bulls and Hadjar is the favourite for promotion.
Red Bull’s senior adviser Dr Helmut Marko has confirmed a decision will be made by the end of October, leaving four grands prix for Lawson and even Tsunoda to leapfrog Hadjar.
Speaking before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Lawson said remaining with Racing Bulls is preferable to having no drive at all.
“It would mean a lot, the main thing is having a seat in the sport and to continue racing,” said Lawson.
“Things move forward very quickly in Formula One. I felt it when I was reserve. Now that I’m in the seat, the season’s gone extremely fast.
“It’s been a huge side of it, especially on the performance side of it, trying to stay grounded when you have good weekends or bad weekends and keep the mind reset for the next one.
“But the main thing for next year is to stay in Formula One and keep racing. That’s the only way you can prove yourself in the sport.”
Should Lawson be overlooked for a return to Red Bull, it would leave him in a state of flux, similar to Pierre Gasly.
After he was promoted, the Frenchman was also moved back to what was then Toro Rosso – now Racing Bulls – just 12 races into 2019. And despite the chance for re-promotion at the end of 2020, Gasly was overlooked in favour of Sergio Perez before finding a home at Alpine.
What is in Lawson’s favour, though, are the last eight races of this season.
Of the remaining tracks, this weekend’s Baku City Circuit is the only one he’s never driven on in a Formula One car, offset by five races there in Formula Two, including a third-place finish in his last visit in 2022.
What’s more, of the eight remaining grands prix, Singapore, Austin and Brazil are all races Lawson has previously scored points in.
Points are what Lawson will need to finish the season, too, as Racing Bulls hunt fifth place in the constructors’ championship.
Arriving in Baku, the team are seventh in the standings and 25 points adrift of Williams.
Finishing fifth would be an incredible achievement for Racing Bulls, not just because the sport’s major players – McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull – are the only teams ahead of them, but for the prize money that each spot in the standings commands.
And with plenty to drive for, Lawson knows performances in the back end of this year are the safest bet to ensuring he returns in 2026.
“Results are the main thing,” he said. “The way that the midfield is, it’s extremely close.
“We’re trying to catch Williams at the moment, which would be P5 in the constructors, which is a massive result for this team.
“It’s definitely possible, it’s super important to have two, three, four points in a race. Even if it’s those, they make a difference. If there’s an opportunity to finish higher, we’re going to go for it.
“But I think the consistency that we had before the summer break is what we need to find again.”
Practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix begins at 8.30pm on Friday.
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.