Report: Liam Lawson now ‘strengthening’ his case to stay at Racing Bulls as Isack Hadjar comparison emerges

Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson is facing a race against time to secure his Formula 1 future.

In any other circumstance, Liam Lawson being promoted to Red Bull at the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season would have been a sign that his long-term place on the grid was safe.

However, Red Bull’s attitude towards giving their young drivers time and support to reach the required level has been lacking, to say the least.

Lawson being demoted after just two races meant he set the record for the shortest stint spent racing for Laurent Mekies’ outfit.

He was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, but the Japanese driver is in an equally precarious position after his struggles alongside Max Verstappen.

Red Bull still have to decide how their driver line-ups are going to pan out for 2026, with neither Racing Bulls seat filled at this stage.

It’s been suggested that Tsunoda and Lawson are in a showdown for a Racing Bulls seat, but the New Zealander’s position might be ‘strengthening’ as a new statistic has emerged.

READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know

Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls position ‘strengthening’ as Isack Hadjar race pace statistic emerges

A report from Motorsport has shared more details about Lawson’s Formula 1 future.

Since his demotion from Red Bull, he’s been in a head-to-head fight with Hadjar to prove that he’s worthy of a place on the grid.

Hadjar has arguably been the best rookie this season, and his podium finish at Zandvoort only improved his growing reputation even further.

Going into next season, Hadjar is expected to be Verstappen’s teammate, and Helmut Marko is keen to find a seat for Arvid Lindblad in 2026.

That means either Lawson or Tsunoda are going to be in trouble, with just a few races left to prove themselves.

The report suggests that Lawson’s position at Racing Bulls is ‘strengthening’ after another fine drive at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

He recorded a career-best fifth-place finish in Baku, crossing the line directly ahead of Tsunoda and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

It’s believed that Lawson’s race pace in comparison to Hadjar is playing a role in this decision.

Between the Japanese and Canadian Grand Prix, Lawson was on average 0.208 seconds slower per lap than Hadjar.

However, in the following eight races, that gap has come down to 0.009 seconds.

Lawson’s chances of a Red Bull promotion are minuscule, but he’s doing more than enough to prove that he would be a very capable driver alongside either Tsunoda or Lindblad next year.

READ MORE: All to know about Racing Bulls from team principal to Red Bull affiliation

Liam Lawson admits his Red Bull dream is over after 2025 demotion

Speaking in his pre-race official press conference in Azerbaijan, Lawson said: “I spent a lot of time, especially when I joined [Red Bull] as a junior at 17, just thinking about how to get to Red Bull Racing, because that’s where I saw my future.

“Maybe… It’s not that I’ve forgotten why I do it, but that was a big part of the goal.

“Now it’s easier to sit back and realise that the goal has always been to win and get to the top, and it doesn’t need to be tied specifically to where that is.”

Lawson’s goal for 2026 has to be to stay at Racing Bulls, with no other options available on the grid.

Alpine’s second seat will be chosen between Franco Colapinto and Paul Aron, while Mercedes are simply waiting to confirm George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s contracts.

But next year’s driver market is expected to be far more volatile, with plenty of contracts expiring and the pecking order on the grid set to drastically change.