Liam Lawson told how he could ‘put pressure’ on Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull F1 seat in 2026

Follow us on Google Discover

Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson will want the 2026 Formula 1 season to be the most straightforward of his career so far.

Cameos in 2023 and 2024 led to Liam Lawson being swiftly promoted and then demoted from the Red Bull team last year.

He didn’t have the easiest time on his return to Racing Bulls, with Isack Hadjar emerging as one of the most impressive young drivers on the grid.

Hadjar is the next driver who is being tasked with being Max Verstappen’s teammate next year, a job many more experienced racers before him have failed to live up to.

Will Isack Hadjar suffer the same fate as Pierre Gasly at Red Bull?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Lawson impressed Red Bull towards the end of last season, doing enough to see off the threat of Yuki Tsunoda and keep his seat on the grid in 2026.

Now, the New Zealander knows he needs to take advantage of a full pre-season with Racing Bulls to establish himself in Formula 1.

As journalist Chris Medland has explained, the best way to do so might be to try and put the pressure back on Hadjar in the senior Red Bull team.

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

Liam Lawson tasked with putting ‘pressure’ on Isack Hadjar at Red Bull in 2026

Medland was speaking about the driver situation at Red Bull and Racing Bulls in 2026 on the RACER Debrief Podcast.

With Arvid Lindblad arriving alongside Lawson as the only rookie on the grid and no Helmut Marko in the garage anymore, there’s plenty of change to look out for this year.

He said: “I think they’ve seen enough from him [Hadjar] this year, and I do think having new cars, new regulations will actually just give everyone a bit more time.

“Even if there are big gaps, it will be viewed that, well, you’re getting used to the new car as much as you are, or the new regulations as much as you are, a new team.

“So, compared to say 12 months ago, with the stability that was there when Liam Lawson went in, I do think Isack will get longer.

“But there are still young drivers knocking on the door. If Isack’s not performing and Lawson is really well, for example, if he goes up a level next year, for what will be, don’t forget, his first full season in one team, if they stick with him in one team and his first pre-season in the team he will see most of the racing for because he did pre-season for Red Bull last year and only did two races, then you could see progress from him that puts pressure on Isack.

“You could see Arvid Lindblad go in and excel as a rookie like Isack did, certainly with lower expectations beforehand and then put pressure on as well if Isack’s not performing.”

READ MORE: Who is 2026 Red Bull F1 driver Isack Hadjar? Everything you need to know

How Liam Lawson can help Arvid Lindblad in a way he wasn’t able to aid Isack Hadjar

Hadjar was named rookie of the season by many people after a 2025 campaign where he narrowly missed out on a top 10 finish in the championship and earned his maiden F1 podium.

The expectations on the Frenchman will be far greater at Red Bull, but they will also be tempered by how competitive the car is under the new regulations.

Guenther Steiner suggested Lawson’s lack of experience made Hadjar’s efforts last season even more impressive, as he didn’t have an older teammate to learn from.

Lawson has spent another year racing for Racing Bulls, and that should give Lindblad a much better benchmark to learn from.

Lindblad has already been watching Lawson closely, and he’ll know how important it is in the cutthroat Red Bull environment to make a fast start to 2026.

However, he can learn a lot from Hadjar, who put his car in the barrier during the formation lap on his debut in Australia, and still went on to earn that coveted Red Bull promotion.