Liam Lawson’s Camp React to Reports He Will Replace Alex Albon in 2027

New Zealander Liam Lawson is currently enjoying the strongest season of his F1 career, but his future is still uncertain when it comes to 2027.

The Racing Bulls driver sits 9th in the Drivers’ Championship with 89 points, but is still far from guaranteed to retain his seat next season. Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has confirmed that there are three drivers competing for the two spots: Lawson, his current teammate Arvid Lindblad, and Red Bull junior driver Nikola Tsolov.

Permane has said that the team is not in a rush to make a decision, and are confident that the right decision will be made.

Ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Lawson was asked about his future, and whether he felt his performances should be enough to secure his place in 2027, and he replied, “I don’t know what else they want me to do.”

Liam Lawson’s Camp Address Rumours of Shock Potential Switch

With his future not yet confirmed, rumours surfaced suggesting that Lawson could be a target for Williams, who could see him as a replacement for Alex Albon. In that scenario, Tsolov would take the open seat at Racing Bulls.

The story was plausible, as the British team had previously shown interest in Lawson back in 2024 as a possible mid-season replacement for Logan Sargeant, but the move was blocked by Red Bull.

Amid all the speculation, ESPN’s Nate Saunders reached out to Team Lawson, who insisted that there “hadn’t been any talks” about the Kiwi making the switch.

Moreover, he noted that Albon signed a new contract with Williams earlier this year and is still expected to be drive for the team in 2027 alongside Carlos Sainz, despite him being outperformed by his colleague this term.

Liam Lawson’s Uncertain F1 Future Explored

Jakub Porzycki via Reuters

If Lawson is unable to secure a seat with his current team, and the rumours of a switch to Williams prove to be just that, then what options does the 24-year-old have?

Cadillac may have a seat available, but if they opt not to renew the position of Valtteri Bottas, then Colton Herta looks like the favourite to take his place, with the team topping up his superlicence points with a number of FP1 outings.

To add to Lawson’s issues, it isn’t yet clear who will make the final decision on whether he has a future at Racing Bulls.

Red Bull sports boss Oliver Mintzlaff was previously reported as the man to make the call, but Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer has said that the decision will be solely made by Permane, who has to decide between Lawson and Tsolov.

Whilst Bayer has acknowledged that Lawson has generally done enough to prove himself, he also highlighted the team’s responsibility to introduce new drivers into Formula One, a responsibility that would be achieved with the introduction of Tsolov.

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