Red Bull Racing team principal Laurent Mekies has heaped praise on the steely resilience of Liam Lawson following another commanding display at the Brazilian Grand Prix, while firmly ruling out any senior team interference regarding the Kiwi's Racing Bulls seat for 2027.
Lawson's long-term future in Formula 1 continues to provide major intrigue across the paddock. The New Zealander demonstrated remarkable composure under intense pressure at Interlagos, qualifying in a sensational third position before converting it into a hard-fought eighth-place finish on Sunday. Those points solidified Racing Bulls in fifth position in the constructors' championship, yet speculation persists that Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov could challenge him for the drive.
Addressing questions on Lawson's contract situation, Mekies insisted that the sister squad in Faenza retains complete autonomy over its lineup decisions. "I’ve said it several times, the Racing Bulls driver decisions are done through Racing Bulls," Mekies stated as reported by Crash.net. "As much as yes, we run a common junior programme, we are in the unique position where, when the good guys are coming out from Racing Bulls, we obviously have the possibility to get them to be promoted to Red Bull Racing as we have done with Max and as we have done with Isack [Hadjar]. But how we get to that point is down to them in terms of the F1 stint."
Lawson's journey through the Red Bull hierarchy has tested his mental fortitude repeatedly. Having been promoted alongside Max Verstappen during the 2025 campaign before being replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, Lawson was drafted back into the senior Red Bull squad for three Grands Prix earlier in 2026 to substitute for the injured Isack Hadjar.
"And when it comes to Liam, I can only congratulate him for another very strong weekend. He has been on a fantastic run. He did a very good job with us in the three races where he had to jump in. It’s an incredible contrast compared to his experience here a year ago at the beginning of the year. And certainly, from that point, we all see that when you return back to Racing Bulls, he has shown on track another step again," Mekies elaborated.
Mekies concluded by dampening any attempt to force the hand of Racing Bulls management, led by Alan Permane, emphasizing that neither team will be rushed into an untimely verdict. "I’ve just spent three minutes trying to tell you that it’s a Racing Bulls decision. I’m not going to publicly vent my opinion so that it becomes the Red Bull Racing decision. They have all the data. Alan understands racing better than most, and it’s fair that they take their time without rushing into a call," Mekies concluded.
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