A reported change in direction for Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov could give Liam Lawson a clearer path to remain at Racing Bulls in 2027, just as the Kiwi has earned strong praise from Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies.
Tsolov has been looming as one of the biggest threats to Lawson’s place on next year’s Formula 1 grid, with the Formula 2 championship leader continuing to progress through Red Bull’s junior programme.
Racing Bulls Team Principal Alan Permane has previously described the 19-year-old as “next in line” for a potential promotion, while Tsolov took another significant step towards Formula 1 last month when he completed 690km during his first F1 test with Racing Bulls at Imola.
However, a direct promotion into a Racing Bulls race seat in 2027 may no longer be the only option being considered.
The New Zealand Herald reports Tsolov is likely to be offered a reserve role next season, potentially alongside a campaign in Japan’s Super Formula championship.
If that plan eventuates, it could effectively give Red Bull another year before deciding whether Tsolov is ready for a permanent Formula 1 seat — potentially removing one of the most immediate threats to Lawson’s position at Racing Bulls.
It would also follow a development route Red Bull has successfully used before. Lawson himself competed in Super Formula in 2023, winning three races and finishing runner-up in the championship before eventually establishing himself in Formula 1.
Pierre Gasly also raced in Japan in 2017, finishing runner-up in Super Formula before securing his place on the F1 grid.
For Lawson, the possibility of Tsolov following that same path comes at an important time.
The New Zealander has just completed a three-race stint with Red Bull while filling in for the injured Isack Hadjar, giving the senior team another chance to assess him in its own machinery after his difficult two-race spell at the start of 2025. The difference between the two opportunities has been significant.
Lawson finished seventh on his return to Red Bull at Zandvoort before a power unit penalty and subsequent front-wing damage after contact with Nico Hulkenberg compromised his weekend at Monza.
He bounced back strongly at Madrid, qualifying eighth before finishing sixth in the Grand Prix. Those performances have not gone unnoticed inside Red Bull.
“I think he’s done a very good job,” Mekies said following the Spanish Grand Prix.
“I think we all know how difficult it is to jump to a different team, to a different car, and I think that he has done that to the best of what could have been our expectations.
“He has taken some very important points today with the P6. He did the same in Zandvoort, and in Monza he would have done something similar without contact with Nico [Hülkenberg] and the front-wing damage.
“So, I think he did a very good job, again very different pictures compared to the first two races of 2025 when he was in the team, so we are thankful and happy with that.”
It is an important endorsement for Lawson as Red Bull begins weighing up its driver options beyond the current season.
His first opportunity with the senior team lasted just two race weekends in 2025, with Lawson failing to score before being returned to Racing Bulls.
More than a year later, the 24-year-old has returned as a more experienced Formula 1 driver and scored points in two of his three appearances, despite being dropped into an unfamiliar car mid-season.
Mekies believes Lawson’s development has gone beyond his results, pointing to the Kiwi’s calmer, more focused approach during his latest stint.
“I think he has continued to grow as a driver and he’s very calm in the car; he is very focused,” Mekies said.
“He’s certainly making – I don’t know if he makes an effort or not – but he’s certainly managed to keep things simple in the way he interacts with the team and in the way he tackles his own performance and the car’s performance.
“So, he’s focused on the essentials. He tries to get the basics right, and it’s working for him; of course, with more time in the car, you can then get to another degree of finesse, maybe. But I think that approach is very, very strong.”
Those comments could carry additional significance when Lawson’s future is considered alongside Tsolov’s.
Earlier in the season, the Bulgarian’s rapid rise through Formula 2 appeared to leave Red Bull facing another familiar problem — finding room on the Formula 1 grid for its next promising junior.
Tsolov’s first F1 test only strengthened his credentials, with Permane praising how quickly he adapted to the machinery and the composure he demonstrated behind the wheel. But a reserve and Super Formula programme would offer Red Bull another way forward.
Rather than choosing between continuing with Lawson or immediately promoting Tsolov, the team could retain the Kiwi while giving its junior another year of preparation.
That would leave Tsolov following a pathway Lawson has already travelled while allowing Red Bull to keep assessing both drivers ahead of 2028.
However, there is no guarantee Lawson will be retained, and Racing Bulls has made no final announcement about its 2027 line-up.
Permane has stressed that the team is in no rush to decide, while Tsolov’s reported plans for next season remain unconfirmed. But Lawson’s position looks considerably different following his latest Red Bull opportunity.
Not only has one potential route emerged that could delay Tsolov’s Formula 1 promotion, but Lawson has also simultaneously given Red Bull fresh evidence of his own progression.
His performances at Zandvoort and Madrid delivered points for the senior team, while Mekies’ assessment that Lawson has grown into a calmer, more focused driver further suggests how differently Red Bull has viewed his second opportunity.
If Tsolov does spend 2027 developing through Super Formula and reserve duties, Red Bull may not need to make an immediate choice between its experienced Kiwi and its next emerging junior.
And after three races back in Red Bull machinery, Lawson has arguably done what he needed to do to ensure his name remains firmly in that conversation.
Header Image: Mark Thompson/Getty Images via Red Bull Content Pool
