Liam Lawson has admitted he has been given “no assurance” about retaining his seat at Racing Bulls for 2027.
Lawson is the highest-placed midfield driver in the F1 Drivers’ Championship, with only the Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull drivers ahead of him in the standings.
The 24-year-old has scored more than twice as many points as team-mate and rookie Arvid Lindblad and underlined his strong campaign by finishing seventh in Mexico after starting from the pit lane.
Racing Bulls are the only F1 team that has not yet officially confirmed either of its 2027 drivers and it is understood Lawson’s seat is under threat from Red Bull junior and Formula 2 title protagonist Nikola Tsolov.
“I’m trying my best. Every weekend I’m trying to maximise,” Lawson timidly told Sky Sports F1.
“In Mexico I gave it everything. There’s definitely no assurance at the moment [for next year]. It’s a tough sport. Right now, I don’t know what else to say, really.”
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Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen make contact during FP2 at the Mexico City GP – the clash would eventually lead to both drivers receiving a grid penalty
Bulgarian driver Tsolov is highly rated by Red Bull as he’s competing for the Formula 2 title in his rookie campaign, having been runner-up in Formula 3 last year.
The 19-year-old made his F1 practice debut in Mexico and was only one tenth behind Lindblad, which impressed Racing Bulls chief executive Peter Bayer.
“Honestly, [Tsolov’s] performance on Friday was superb. It was his first time in the car, and he integrated into the team absolutely perfectly,” Bayer told Austrian outlet ORF.
“Regarding the driver decision, he put in a fantastic performance. That decision rests with [team principal] Alan [Permane], and he will make it, or rather, announce it when he feels the time is right.”
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Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson reveals he apologised to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen following their collision during practice at the Mexico City GP
Asked whether Lawson has done everything he can to prove himself, Bayer said: “That’s the general consensus in the paddock.
“At the same time, our role, as the leading developer of talent in Formula 1, is to continuously bring new drivers through. We’ve brought 22 drivers into Formula 1, including the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and others.
“That’s why I say that, at the end of the day, the decision lies with Alan. And he will make the right choice for the team. We chatted about that briefly on Saturday.”
What else is left to play out in the F1 driver market for 2027?
Despite signing a multi-year contract which began at the start of this year, Valtteri Bottas’ future at Cadillac is up in the air.
Cadillac are keen for Formula 2 driver Colton Herta to qualify for a super licence, which would make him eligible to become a full-time Formula 1 driver.
The team have ran Herta in five practice sessions this season to try to gain super licence points, and the American is now just one point away from earning the licence.
Cadillac are set to run Herta again in first practice this Friday at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, where, if he drives 100km, he will pick up another super licence point.
“It is important (for Cadillac to have an American driver). It’s an American team, it races under an American flag,” said Cadillac team principal Marcin Budkowski.
“I think you’ve seen in Austin that we’re building a strong American identity as well. It’s great to have an American driver, it increases the hype.
“But it’s also a question of timing. The right driver, when the team is ready for it, and so we’re assessing this.”
Colton Herta is a threat to Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac seat for 2027 (Memmler/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)
Last month, Haas announced Formula 2 championship leader Rafael Camara will replace Esteban Ocon next year but did not confirm Oliver Bearman’s seat.
Both Bearman and Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu have expressed confidence in recent weeks that a deal will be done to extend the 21-year-old’s current contract, which expires at the end of the 2026 season.
“There are a few things in the background that we’re working on, but it’s been very clear that continuing with Haas will be my target, and we’re just finalising a few things on that front,” said Bearman.
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Ollie Bearman goes head-to-head with Jenson Button in the Ultimate Lap Challenge, but who will take the win? Powered by AWS
Asked about the delay, Bearman insisted that a deal would have been finalised by this point if it was up to him.
“It’s not really in my hands, I can tell you that. If it was up to me, it would have already been announced a long time ago,” he added.
“But there are a few bigger-picture things that we’re working on.”
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Ollie Bearman is reduced to tears after driving Ayrton Senna’s 1985 Lotus 97T, the car Senna drove to his first-ever Formula 1 victory
Komatsu furiously dismissed reports claiming that contract extension talks with Bearman are being held up by the British driver demanding a £5m annual salary.
“I have no idea where that comes from,” he said.
“I’ve experienced this sometimes this season as well. People say there’s no smoke without fire but really some people will invent a story.
“What happened in Miami? Apparently, I had an argument with (Bearman’s team-mate) Esteban Ocon. There’s just absolutely zero truth in it and even those people claiming that they had some insider information etc, absolute total nonsense.
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Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has dismissed speculation suggesting Oliver Bearman will be leaving the team
“This one again I don’t know who smoked up this six-million euros number. The first time I saw it on Instagram, or Stu [Morrison, Haas press officer] forwarded it to me, and I was just like, ‘oh another great… somebody has come up and stirred up whatever’.
“I have no comments to make because it’s just not even close to the truth. Why do we engage in such an absolute nonsense? What’s the point of it?”
Sky Sports F1’s live Sao Paulo GP Schedule
Thursday November 5
5pm: Drivers’ Press Conference
8pm: Paddock Uncut
Friday November 6
3pm: Sao Paulo Grand Prix Practice One (session starts at 3.30pm)*
5.30pm: Team Bosses’ Press Conference
6.45pm: Sao Paulo Grand Prix Practice Two (session starts at 7pm)
8.15pm: The F1 Show
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Look back at some of the most dramatic moments to have taken place at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix
Saturday November 7
2.15pm: Sao Paulo Grand Prix Practice Three (session starts at 2.30pm)*
5pm: Sao Paulo Grand Prix Qualifying build-up
6pm: SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING
8pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday November 8
3.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Sao Paulo GP build-up
5pm: THE SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX*
7pm: Chequered Flag: Sao Paulo City GP reaction
8pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 next heads to Brazil for the final leg of the triple header with the Sao Paulo Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW
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