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With Racing Bulls duo Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad out of contract at the end of 2026, Naomi Schiff thinks they will be fighting each other for a seat at Red Bull in 2027.
The two drivers had very different starts to the 2026 F1 season, with Lindblad scoring points on debut at the Australian Grand Prix. He was running as high as third on the opening lap, but dropped down to P8.
Martin Brundle praised Lindblad for battling Max Verstappen during the race and holding his own against the four-time champion. Now, Schiff thinks the 18-year-old will be fighting with his teammate, who endured a tough start to the season.
Describe Arvid Lindblad’s F1 debut in one word… GO! 👇
While Lindblad gained positions off the start, Lawson dropped back to the rear of the field. He was almost hit by Franco Colapinto as he got a poor start off the grid.
Lawson is ‘completely lost’ with the new regulations and is struggling to understand the car. At the moment, Lindblad has the upper hand, but with 23 races to go, Racing Bulls’ intra-team battle has only just begun.
Naomi Schiff thinks Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad will be fighting for a Red Bull seat
Speaking on Up To Speed, Schiff predicted that the two Racing Bulls drivers will be ‘rubbing wheels’ in 2026 as they eye a Red Bull seat. Lawson and Lindblad are only contracted until the end of the year.
Of course, as Schiff notes, a Red Bull seat might not be available, as Max Verstappen wants to stay in F1 and Isack Hadjar has only just been promoted. The Frenchman qualified third on debut but retired due to a mechanical failure.
But she thinks the battle at Racing Bulls will be ‘worthy of watching’ as she revealed her wildest prediction for 2026: “Obviously, I’m going to agree with most of you.
Is Hadjar a better fit for Red Bull than Lawson or Tsunoda?
“George Russell for World Champion, I would say, with Mercedes. I think that’s not going to come as much of a shock, it’s hardly a wild prediction.
“But then for wildest prediction, I’m kind of split between two thoughts. I’m split between Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad start rubbing wheels because they want that seat at Red Bull, which we don’t know is up for grabs.
“Hadjar was doing a great job. But I think the two of them are going to be fighting each other to be top dog at RB. So that’s going to be worthy of watching.”
READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
Arvid Lindblad stands more of a chance of a Red Bull seat than Liam Lawson
Ralf Schumacher thinks Lindblad outclassed Lawson in Melbourne last weekend. After getting beaten by Hadjar at Racing Bulls last season, losing to his rookie teammate in 2026 would be damaging for his career.
Lawson is looking to have a stable season in 2026 after losing his Red Bull seat two races into last year. But Lindblad is already showing his talent in F1, which is certain to please the Milton Keynes outfit.
Helmut Marko told Racing Bulls that Lindblad is as good as Hadjar, which will definitely not go down well with Lawson. He will want to get the upper hand, but as it stands, the rookie has the advantage, and he certainly has better prospects as a Red Bull driver.
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