Talk of Lawson’s exit grows in the paddock: I’ve had no assurance, he says
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Liam Lawson has enjoyed another superb weekend. Despite a disqualification that was no fault of his own and a pit lane start, he brought his VCARB home in seventh place with the help of a raft of penalties. He is giving his team no reason to drop him. Yet there is growing talk behind the scenes that Red Bull has no place for him in future.
Even without the penalties, Lawson finished a fine ninth. Yes, the Racing Bulls car is excellent and the undisputed class of the midfield, but Lawson’s consistency is every bit as impressive as his car’s performance.
Liam currently has 83 points to his name – 45 more than his team-mate Arvid Lindblad. Despite those impressive numbers, serious doubts remain over his future, with an increasingly widespread view that Bulgarian youngster Nikola Tsolov will replace him next year. Liam himself makes no secret of that uncertainty.
“I’m trying my best. Every weekend I’m trying to maximise,” a subdued Lawson told Sky after Sunday’s race.
“In Mexico I gave it everything. There’s definitely no assurance at the moment [for next year]. It’s a tough sport. Right now, I don’t know what else to say, really,” Lawson added.
His bosses also had something to say on the subject. Team CEO Peter Bayer made it clear that Liam has no guarantees. Quite the opposite. Asked whether the New Zealander had proved his worth, he replied: “That’s the general consensus in the paddock.”
“At the same time, our role, as the leading developer of talent in Formula 1, is to continuously bring new drivers through. We’ve brought 22 drivers into Formula 1, including the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and others,” said Bayer, giving a clear indication of the direction Red Bull and Racing Bulls are taking with their decision.
“That’s why I say that, at the end of the day, the decision lies with Alan. And he will make the right choice for the team. We chatted about that briefly on Saturday,” Bayer added.
