A dramatic reshuffle inside the Red Bull Formula 1 organisation is about to ignite the off-season, and at the centre of it all stands Liam Lawson.
The Kiwi driver, who has spent much of 2025 fighting to resurrect his career after an early-season demotion, is now set to remain on the grid in 2026 with Racing Bulls.
According to a report from Dutch publication De Telegraaf stating that Lawson has been chosen to stay within the Red Bull family for 2026 and is set to remain part of their second outfit, Racing Bulls, ending months of speculation over his future.
Lawson’s 2025 season began with heartbreak. Promoted to Red Bull Racing after just 11 F1 appearances, he was dropped after two races and left without a point to his name.
Lesser drivers may have folded—Lawson didn’t. Returning to Racing Bulls, he delivered a relentless sequence of gritty, race-sharp performances that not only rebuilt his reputation but forced Red Bull to take notice.
Across the campaign, Lawson has scored points in seven Grands Prix, establishing himself as one of the sport’s most reliable midfield operators:
- Monaco Grand Prix – 8th
- Austrian Grand Prix – 6th
- Belgium Grand Prix – 8th
- Hungarian Grand Prix – 8th
- Azerbaijan Grand Prix – 5th (his best result to date)
- São Paulo Grand Prix – 7th
- Qatar Grand Prix – 9th
That tally has propelled him to 14th in the championship and, according to leading European sources, secured his Racing Bulls seat for 2026 alongside rising British-Swedish talent Arvid Lindblad, who will graduate from Formula 2.
Eyebrows were raised in Qatar when Lawson was spotted deep in discussion with Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, with team principal Laurent Mekies later joining the conversation.
At the time, Lawson insisted he had received “no clues” about Red Bull’s plans, but the meeting now appears to have been a pivotal moment in confirming his future.
Tension had been rife within the Red Bull driver camp, with Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda widely believed to be battling for a single seat.
Tsunoda’s long-standing Honda backing became a potential liability when Red Bull confirmed its departure from Honda power units in 2026, shifting toward an in-house solution supported by Ford.
Red Bull’s final 2026 driver announcement, due Tuesday (Wednesday NZST), is set to send shockwaves through both garages.
The move will see Lawson’s teammate Isack Hadjar promoted to the main Red Bull Racing squad alongside Max Verstappen, rewarding the French-Algerian rookie’s impressive debut year.
Taking Hadjar’s old seat is 18-year-old Lindblad, one of Red Bull’s brightest academy prospects and a driver already pencilled in for his first Formula 1 session in Abu Dhabi.
The biggest casualty? Yuki Tsunoda.
Once positioned as Japan’s next F1 frontrunner, Tsunoda now faces the harshest consequence of Red Bull’s power shift, with reports indicating he may lose his full-time seat after the Abu Dhabi finale.
His immediate future remains unclear, though a reserve role has been floated as a possible lifeline.
Red Bull originally intended to unveil its 2026 pairings after the Mexican Grand Prix, but internal debate delayed the decision until the season finale.
Now, with the final pieces falling into place, Mekies has confirmed there will be no further surprises—Tuesday’s announcement will lock in Red Bull’s future.
For Lawson, it marks the reward for a season defined by resilience, raw speed, and unshakeable self-belief.
For Tsunoda, it may signal the final lap of a five-year Formula 1 chapter.
Header Image: Andrew Ferraro/Getty Images via Red Bull Content Pool
