Red Bull sponsors have just hinted that Liam Lawson will keep his Racing Bulls seat for 2026

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Red Bull have repeatedly said they will make a decision on their Formula 1 driver line-ups after the Mexico City Grand Prix. That means Liam Lawson may have just one race remaining to secure his seat and his career.

With a return to Max Verstappen’s garage unrealistic, Lawson is instead fighting to remain at Racing Bulls. Isack Hadjar will replace Yuki Tsunoda – that much is clear – and that leaves the Japanese driver eyeing a return to Faenza.

Formula 2 driver Arvid Lindblad is the complicating factor, preventing Racing Bulls from simply reuniting their late 2024 line-up without a second thought. But the New Zealand Herald believe they’ve seen a sign that Lawson is set to stay.

If it’s a straight head-to-head, then it’s worth noting that Lawson has outscored Tsunoda by two points this season despite being in the nominally slower car. He delivered an outstanding P5 in Azerbaijan last month, but hasn’t built on it at the two races since.

Liam Lawson featured ‘heavily’ in Ford promotional campaigns

The NZ Herald explain that Lawson was ‘heavily featured’ in Ford’s ‘promotional work’ in the lead-up to the US Grand Prix. Red Bull will build their own power units next year, but they will run with the badges of the American manufacturer, who are offering technical support.

Ford have implicitly made clear that Lawson is valuable to their F1 brand. It would be ‘very strange’ for him to play such a prominent role, only to then disappear off the grid.

There’s still no indication that a formal decision has been made, though. It’s significant that Lindblad will take part in FP1 this weekend, giving him a final opportunity to prove his readiness.

Jenson Button says Racing Bulls should give Lawson a two-year contract. The 23-year-old, who had a brief stint at Red Bull at the start of the year, has been on a rolling one-year arrangement up to this point.

Tension rises between Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda amid Racing Bulls battle

Lawson and Tsunoda may be under the impression that it’s one or the other for 2026. After disappointing seasons for both drivers, Helmut Marko might want to promote the next young talent in Lindblad.

During Sprint qualifying at the US GP, Tsunoda and Lawson nearly collided as they jostled for track position on an outlap.

• READ MORE: Jolyon Palmer says Liam Lawson now has growing ‘beef’ with one of his Formula 1 rivals

Then, in qualifying for the Grand Prix itself, Tsunoda accused Lawson of deliberately impeding him, though Martin Brundle felt that was an overly harsh assessment.

Lawson clashed with Sergio Perez in Mexico last year and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he had another run-in with Tsunoda at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez this year.