Gary Anderson thinks Racing Bulls have ‘taken a step back’ that could actually benefit Liam Lawson

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Liam Lawson will start a season as a Racing Bulls driver for the first time in 2026, as he also now steps into the role of team leader in Faenza next to F1 rookie Arvid Lindblad.

Red Bull gave Lawson a new contract to remain at their sister team Racing Bulls for the 2026 season in December. The 23-year-old had started the 2025 season at Red Bull, but he was demoted back to Racing Bulls after only contesting two rounds with the brand’s main squad.

Lawson started his F1 career with Racing Bulls as a stand-in driver for five races in 2023, and also spent the final six rounds of the 2024 campaign with the Faenza crew. Now, Lawson will act as Racing Bulls’ team leader in 2026, as Red Bull prospect Lindblad graduates from F2.

The Kiwi’s increased responsibilities in Faenza saw Lawson drive Racing Bulls’ 2026 F1 car at Imola on Tuesday. He got the first laps in the VCARB 03 during a shakedown before Lindblad took the wheel, and they both got more laps during the team’s filming day this Wednesday.

Prove me wrong: Liam Lawson can show he deserves another chance at Red Bull

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Gary Anderson thinks Liam Lawson can benefit from Racing Bulls being Red Bull’s junior team again

Gary Anderson thinks the Racing Bulls VCARB 03 that Lawson and Lindblad will race in 2026 will also be “important” for Red Bull. The former Jordan F1 technical director feels Red Bull need their sister team to have a good car, as they might need to promote a driver for 2027.

READ MORE: All to know about Racing Bulls from team principal to Red Bull affiliation

Anderson even believes Racing Bulls have now reverted to being the “junior” Red Bull team, having faced an identity crisis by trying to be more than that over the past two seasons. The Faenza crew have traditionally been Red Bull’s F1 finishing school since they bought Minardi.

He told The Race: “Racing Bulls have taken a step back this year towards being a Red Bull junior driver stepping-stone again.

“It was where Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen cut their teeth, and Isack Hadjar is the latest to graduate from it. So, they’re a team that can be used to progress drivers along their learning curve.

“Verstappen has been regularly linked to a move away, so Red Bull need to be prepared. And Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad need the VCARB 03 to be a car good enough to make their case for a promotion – that also makes this car important for Red Bull as a whole.”

Racing Bulls tried to be more than Red Bull’s sister team after rebranding in 2024

How worried should Racing Bulls be about Arvid Lindblad’s Imola spin on his first lap in the 2026 car?

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Red Bull rebranded Minardi to Toro Rosso after they took over the Faenza crew ahead of the 2006 F1 season. Toro Rosso later became AlphaTauri in 2020 to promote Red Bull’s clothing line, before officially operating under the name RB in 2024 and then Racing Bulls from 2025.

Racing Bulls initially wanted to become more than just Red Bull’s junior team by rebranding again in 2024. But Red Bull control Racing Bulls’ driver line-up, and the two teams also now have closer technical ties than ever before after increasing the amount they share in 2025.

Now, Anderson believes the move to make Racing Bulls the junior Red Bull team again could benefit Lawson and Lindblad. Verstappen can use a release clause in his Red Bull contract in 2026 if the four-time champion is outside the top two in the standings at the summer break.

If Lawson is to be the one who benefits from Racing Bulls’ junior team status, then Red Bull will want to see big improvements in 2026. Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer has told Lawson to improve his “qualifying pace”, after he lost 16-6 to Hadjar in their 2025 head-to-head battle.