Liam Lawson yet to convince Racing Bulls F1 boss he’s worth holding on to

Liam Lawson is about to start his first full year as a Racing Bulls driver in the 2026 F1 season.

Lawson’s path has been anything but straightforward. He first filled in for Daniel Ricciardo during an injury spell back in 2023, then took over the seat permanently the following year. A short, high-profile stint with Red Bull followed before he found stability at the Racing Bulls.

He managed to put together a solid 2025 campaign too, collecting 38 points and finishing 14th overall – enough to keep his seat into this season at Yuki Tsunoda’s expense.

Still, nothing is guaranteed beyond this year. After being edged out by rookie Isack Hadjar last season, there’s a sense he now needs to outperform Arvid Lindblad if he wants to secure his place long-term.

Alan Permane spells out what Liam Lawson needs to do to earn new Racing Bulls deal

Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane has made it clear that there are still questions around whether Liam Lawson is the right choice for the team long-term. Right now, there isn’t a strong push to secure him beyond his current deal.

Lawson, who managed 38 points last season and finished 14th overall, is going into a year where consistency will be under the microscope. To make a real case for himself, he needs to cut down on errors and start stringing together more reliable results.

Speaking to GPBlog, Permane didn’t mince words about what he wants to see from Lawson this year:

“What I would like from him is I would like to get him to the stage where we want to keep him here,” said Permane.

“I want him to deliver so that we think, wow, we’ve got to hang on to this guy. He’s really good.

Praise was balanced with criticism as Permane acknowledged there are positives in Lawson’s game but said too many poor results were unexplained:

“The good stuff is good, it’s there. And just eliminate the poor unexplained results that sometimes come.”

Alan Permane and Racing Bulls have formed an unusual plan for Liam Lawson

Racing Bulls have always had a certain patience with their young drivers, offering time to develop in contrast to the more cutthroat environment often seen at Red Bull’s senior level. However, Alan Permane, despite being relatively new to the role since last summer, has taken a different approach with Liam Lawson.

Permane hasn’t held back in his assessments, describing some of Lawson’s struggles as ‘inexplicable.’ It appears he believes criticism could push Lawson further than encouragement ever would.

The suggestion from David Coulthard that Lawson might need to step outside the Red Bull programme adds another layer. If interest from other teams starts to build because of strong performances, Permane wouldn’t see that as a loss.