Laurent Mekies: Liam Lawson’s Fate Has Nothing to Do With Me

Racing Bulls controls 2027 driver decision

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has confirmed that Racing Bulls will determine whether Liam Lawson remains with the team or Formula 2 title contender Nikola Tsolov takes the second race seat alongside Arvid Lindblad for the 2027 Formula 1 season.

Lindblad is expected to contest a second full campaign in the world championship next year, but Racing Bulls has yet to confirm his team-mate. Tsolov had emerged as the leading candidate after winning six races during the first half of the season, although his recent form has weakened, with suboptimal qualifying performances contributing to the dip.

Lawson, by contrast, has produced one of the strongest seasons among the midfield drivers. The New Zealander has scored 89 points, more than twice the total of any other midfield competitor. He has also outperformed Lindblad on merit in both qualifying and races across the last five rounds, scoring 30 points during that period compared with 26 for Mercedes driver George Russell.

Lawson strengthens case with Brazil performance

Lawson added to his case for retention at the Brazilian Grand Prix, finishing seventh in difficult weather conditions. He crossed the line 36 seconds ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, the second-highest-finishing midfield driver.

Asked whether Red Bull could justify Racing Bulls replacing a driver performing at such a high level, Mekies said: “It’s a number of questions that are to be addressed to Racing Bulls once they have made their decision, so it’s a lot of ifs.

“The Racing Bulls driver decision is down to Racing Bulls. And as much as, yes, we run a common junior programme, we are in the unique positions 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 [Verstappen] 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.

“When it comes to Liam, I can only congratulate him for another very strong weekend. He has been on a fantastic run at first; he has done a very good job with us in the three races where he had to jump in, in 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. And what he showed this weekend is the perfect representation of how strongly he is now performing.”

Mekies rejects claim of Red Bull interference

Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has indicated that he would like to retain Lawson. In previous years, former Red Bull Formula 1 chiefs Christian Horner and Helmut Marko were understood to have influenced driver decisions, but both men have now left the organisation.

Mekies stressed that the current situation is different, distinguishing between offering an opinion and having responsibility for the final decision: “There is a difference between giving an opinion and having to make a call. I don’t have to make a call.”

When pressed to give his personal view, Mekies again refused to turn the Racing Bulls decision into a Red Bull Racing decision: “I’ve just spent three minutes trying to tell that it’s a Racing Bulls decision. I’m not going to publicly vent my opinion so that it becomes a Red Bull Racing decision. No, it’s a Racing Bulls decision. They have all the data, they are very experienced.

“Alan is a great guy, he understands racing better than most. It’s probably fair that these guys are taking their time, because from a Red Bull perspective, there is no reason to rush.”

Why This Matters

The decision will determine whether Racing Bulls rewards Lawson’s current Formula 1 performances or promotes Tsolov, one of Red Bull’s leading junior drivers. Lawson’s points tally, recent qualifying and race advantage over Lindblad, and strong result in Brazil have increased the case for keeping him in the seat. However, Mekies’ comments make clear that Racing Bulls, rather than Red Bull Racing, is responsible for assessing the available data and choosing its 2027 driver line-up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who will decide Racing Bulls’ 2027 second driver?

Racing Bulls will decide whether to retain Liam Lawson or promote Nikola Tsolov alongside Arvid Lindblad.

How has Liam Lawson performed this season?

Lawson has scored 89 points and has beaten Lindblad on merit in qualifying and races over the last five rounds.

What is Laurent Mekies’ position on the decision?

Mekies has praised Lawson’s recent performances but says he will not publicly state a preference because the decision belongs to Racing Bulls.