Mekies distances Red Bull from Lawson decision as Racing Bulls weigh 2027 seat

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has made clear he holds no authority over Racing Bulls’ 2027 driver decision, distancing himself from the question of whether Liam Lawson will keep his seat alongside rookie Arvid Lindblad next season.

The New Zealander has been one of the standout midfield performers of the current campaign, accumulating 89 points — more than double any other driver outside the top teams. Over the last five rounds he has outqualified and outpaced Lindblad on merit in every session, collecting 30 points in that stretch, a tally that eclipses George Russell’s 26 across the same period. In Brazil, Lawson finished seventh in tricky wet conditions, finishing 36 seconds clear of Nico Hulkenberg in second among the midfield runners.

Despite that form, his future at Racing Bulls remains unresolved. Formula 2 title contender Nikola Tsolov had been considered the frontrunner for the second seat, though his momentum has stalled in the second half of the season after six wins in the first half, hampered in part by inconsistent qualifying.

Asked whether Red Bull could justify Racing Bulls dropping a driver performing at Lawson’s level, Mekies was emphatic that the call is not his to make. “The Racing Bulls driver decision is down to Racing Bulls,” he said. “There is a difference between giving an opinion and having to make a call. I don’t have to make a call.”

Mekies acknowledged the shared junior programme between the two Red Bull-affiliated outfits but drew a firm line between that structure and any interference in Racing Bulls’ F1 roster. He pointed to the promotions of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar as examples of how talent moves upward through the system, while stressing that the process leading to those decisions belongs to the junior team.

He was, however, generous in his assessment of Lawson’s recent displays. “He has been on a fantastic run,” Mekies said. “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. And what he showed this weekend is the perfect representation of how strongly he is now performing.”

Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has previously hinted at a desire to keep Lawson. The departure of former Red Bull figures Christian Horner and Helmut Marko — both of whom were understood to have historically influenced such decisions — appears to have shifted the dynamic, leaving the junior team with greater autonomy over its own line-up.