Liam Lawson reveals what he’s been told about Racing Bulls future as F1 exit threat looms

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Liam Lawson has happy memories of the Singapore Grand Prix and returns in 2025 off the back of his F1 career best result, but the Racing Bulls gem is fighting for his future.

Marina Bay witnessed Lawson score his very first points in F1 back in the 2023 Singapore GP when he sealed P9 while deputising for the injured Daniel Ricciardo. The 23-year-old is now making his first return to Singapore after a career-best P5 in the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Lawson did not race around the city streets of Marina Bay last season, as Ricciardo made his final F1 start in the 2024 Singapore GP before the New Zealander took his Racing Bulls drive. But, one year on, it is Lawson who is fighting for his future with seven rounds of 2025 to run.

Red Bull are still debating their driver line-up and that of their junior team, Racing Bulls, for the 2026 F1 season. Only Max Verstappen has a secured seat in the Red Bull fold, with Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar fighting to partner the Dutchman and Lawson vying to stay in F1.

Red Bull are reminding Liam Lawson that he’s fighting for his F1 future, not just his Racing Bulls seat

Lawson’s P5 in the Azerbaijan GP has improved his chances to stay in F1 next year, with his race pace at Racing Bulls impressing the Red Bull leadership. It is extremely unlikely that Red Bull will give the Kiwi another shot in their top team, but he can get another term in Faenza.

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

The Hastings native’s biggest rival comes from Formula 2, with Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko eager to put Arvid Lindblad in F1 at Racing Bulls. But Red Bull are yet to offer Lawson a clear timeframe for when they will pick their own and Racing Bulls’ 2026 line-ups.

And while Red Bull have not yet given Lawson a clear timeframe for their decisions, they are reminding their academy graduate that he is not only fighting to stay at Racing Bulls but also in F1 next term. Lawson is likely to have no alternatives if Red Bull opt against retaining him.

“I think in the next few races, hopefully,” Lawson told the official F1 website. “I don’t know exactly when. But I think, obviously, at some point a decision is going to have to be made.

“I think in the next few races and the message to us, I’m sure it’s the same across all of us, is perform and the better we perform, the better chance we have at staying in the sport. But the time frame is very vague at the moment.”

Yuki Tsunoda has until Mexico to impress Red Bull, but Liam Lawson may be left waiting

Marko has previously claimed that he has given Tsunoda until around the Mexico City Grand Prix to prove that the Japanese ace deserves to stay in the senior Red Bull team for the 2026 term. But it is also possible that Red Bull could move Tsunoda back to Racing Bulls in 2026.

A seat swap between Tsunoda and Racing Bulls rookie Hadjar next year is on the cards, with the current Red Bull incumbent returning to Faenza to partner with Lawson or Lindblad. So, Lawson et al might yet have a while to wait for Red Bull to decide Racing Bulls’ 2026 line-up.

F1 goes to Mexico after the Grands Prix in Singapore this weekend and the United States on October 17-19. Four rounds will also still remain after F1’s visit to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 24-26 with rounds in Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi to follow.