Karun Chandhok explains why he would keep Liam Lawson over Yuki Tsunoda if he were Red Bull chief

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One of the final decisions that needs to be made in the Formula 1 driver market is who will drive for Racing Bulls next season.

Only three seats need to be confirmed in the driver market ahead of the 2026 F1 campaign.

Max Verstappen still doesn’t know the identity of his Red Bull teammate for next year.

Yuki Tsunoda has failed to impress since replacing Liam Lawson at the Japanese Grand Prix earlier in the season.

The Japanese driver hasn’t been an upgrade on his former Racing Bulls teammate, and only has three more race weekends to prove he’s got what it takes to be on the grid next season.

It’s expected that Isack Hadjar will be promoted to a Red Bull seat next year after a very strong rookie campaign.

Helmut Marko wants Arvid Lindblad to race in F1 in 2026, meaning that there’s a strong chance that the British teenager will be joined by either Lawson or Tsunoda.

Speaking ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, pundits Karun Chandhok and Jamie Chadwick explained why they believed Lawson had done enough to sign a new deal with Red Bull ahead of his former teammate.

READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know

Karun Chandhok cites Liam Lawson’s ‘stability’ as a reason for Red Bull to give him a new contract

Chadwick was speaking about Lawson’s future on Sky Sports F1 (8/11 7:35 pm) and said: “He’s been strong as well. I think as a pair, they’ve both been fairly strong.

“Liam seems to get himself involved in a few tangles that maybe dampen a little bit the shine that Isack has had.

“But, I think [he’s] worthy of staying in Formula 1. He’s in the junior team, he’s doing a great job, and I think he’s doing a good enough job to secure that seat for next year.”

Chandhok replied: “I mean, if you look at today, we’re talking about Isack, fifth place, amazing result from him. The gap between Piastri in fourth and Gasly in ninth is one-tenth.

“There were three-hundredths between Liam and Isack, so I do think he’s done a really good job today, three-hundredths is nothing.

“To me, if you look at next year, I think Hadjar’s got to move to the big team, that looks like it’s going to happen. It looks like Lindblad is coming in; they seem to have made that decision.

“Today, now, I would probably keep Liam because I think they need some stability in that team.

“If they’re going to bring Lindblad in as a rookie, they need some stability. Yuki’s confidence must be down after this year, the Honda relationship is ending, so they don’t really owe Honda anything in terms of keeping a Japanese driver.

“I think Liam is doing enough to keep that seat.”

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

Liam Lawson coming out on top in head-to-head battle with Yuki Tsunoda

It’s not easy to compare two drivers from different teams directly, but it’s hard to argue against Lawson having a stronger 2025 campaign than Tsunoda.

The Japanese driver’s best finish ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix was sixth, but he directly followed Lawson over the line that day in Baku in what’s demonstrably a slower but easier to drive car.

Lindblad would be the only rookie on the grid if he’s confirmed at Racing Bulls next year, and while Lawson is less experienced than Tsunoda, his potential appears to be greater.

Lawson’s demotion wasn’t easy after just two races this season, but the way he’s bounced back to score decent points and match Hadjar during most weekends might be enough to give team principal Alan Permane enough evidence that he deserves another season on the grid.