Laurent Mekies Insists Liam Lawson’s Future Is Solely Racing Bulls’ Decision

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies says the decision on whether to keep Liam Lawson or promote Nikola Tsolov to a 2027 Formula 1 seat rests with Racing Bulls.

Rookie Arvid Lindblad will contest a second season in the championship, but his teammate remains undecided. Although Tsolov, a strong contender from Formula 2, was initially favored, his recent dip in form — particularly in qualifying — has cast doubt on his suitability.

Lawson has amassed 89 points this year, more than double any other midfield driver. He has outperformed his teammate Lindblad in both qualifying and race results over the last five rounds, accumulating 30 points — exceeding George Russell’s tally of 26.

During Brazil’s challenging weather, the New Zealander finished seventh again, 36 seconds clear of Nico Hulkenberg, the top‑ranked midfield competitor.

When asked whether Red Bull could justify Racing Bulls discarding a driver performing at such a high level, Mekies said the matter would be decided by Racing Bulls and involved many uncertainties.

He emphasized that the driver choice is ultimately Racing Bulls’ responsibility: “While we run a shared junior programme and can facilitate promotion to Red Bull Racing — as we did with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar — the final decision rests with Racing Bulls regarding their F1 contract.”

Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) and Isack Hadjar (Red Bull Racing)

Photo by: Srinivasa Krishnan

Mekies congratulated Lawson on another strong weekend, noting his impressive performance after returning to Racing Bulls and highlighting the marked improvement he has shown on track this season.

Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has indicated a desire to retain Lawson, while former Red Bull executives Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, who previously influenced such decisions, are no longer involved.

Mekies reiterated that he is not responsible for the final call: “There is a distinction between offering an opinion and making a decision. I do not have to make that call.”

When pressed for his personal view, he responded with a smile: “I have spent three minutes explaining that this is a Racing Bulls decision. I will not publicly express an opinion that could turn it into a Red Bull Racing matter. It is a Racing Bulls decision; they possess all the data and are highly experienced.”

He added that Alan Permane is a knowledgeable individual who will take the necessary time, as there is no compelling reason for Red Bull to rush the process.

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