Liam Lawson's Brazilian Grand Prix Drama and Future in F1

Liam Lawson left São Paulo with points, bruised rubber and a fresh entry in Charles Leclerc’s growing catalogue of hard-edged overtakes.

The Racing Bulls driver, still fighting for his F1 future, found himself at the centre of late-race drama as Leclerc muscled past him with a clumsy tap to the left-rear in the closing laps of the Brazilian Grand Prix. The move helped the Ferrari clear the Kiwi and secure seventh place, less than two seconds up the road by the flag.

The stewards have summoned both drivers to explain the incident. On track, though, it was settled in an instant: a nudge, a wobble, and Lawson’s resistance finally broken.

‘Maybe it’s his specialty’

Lawson’s verdict came with a sting and a history lesson.

“I think it was his wing that hit my tyre. So I think we got really lucky,” he said, relieved there was no serious damage after the firm contact through Turn 12.

Then came the comparison. Lawson immediately linked the move to Leclerc’s famous GP2 lunge on Alex Albon in Abu Dhabi back in 2017, when the Monegasque tapped Albon’s left-rear at the hairpin, broke his momentum and went on to win the race.

“I feel like it was exactly like his GP2 move to Abu Dhabi, like on [Alex] Albon years ago,” Lawson said. “He did the same kind of thing, so maybe it’s his specialty. I don’t know if it’s legal or not. We’ll obviously go and review it, but it was a good battle overall.”

Good battle or not, it was decisive. Lawson lost the place, Leclerc escaped, and a hard-earned seventh slipped from Racing Bulls’ grasp.

From shock launch to reality check

For a few laps, Lawson’s race looked like something more than a midfield cameo.

Off the line, he exploded into contention, vaulting up to second and even threatening race leader Kimi Antonelli in the early chaos.

“I mean, crazy race,” Lawson said. “Honestly, I had a really good start, good grip in Turn 1. Obviously, I made up a place, and then, to be honest, I was thinking I might try and attack Kimi at some point in the lap.”

That thought didn’t last long. Once the field settled, the pace difference told. Antonelli and the frontrunners drove away; Racing Bulls slipped back into its usual fight.

“But once the pace stabilised, they’re a lot quicker than us, and we started to fall back. We were damaging our tyres, quite a lot more than they were,” Lawson admitted. “I think the pace on the dry was okay. And then at the end, yeah, I tried to keep Charles there. We had some contact in [Turn] 12. I’ll go and review it. I don’t really know exactly what to say yet, but obviously I ended up losing the place.”

Eighth at the flag was still a strong return. Not the shock podium tease his start had hinted at, but another afternoon where Lawson dragged the car to the top of the midfield, exactly where Racing Bulls want to live.

Maximising the package, minimising the noise

For all the late-race frustration, Lawson knew he’d squeezed about as much as he could from the car.

“I had a strong race. I would have liked it to stay wet the whole race. It would have been cool. Probably would have had more of a shot there,” he said, hinting at what might have been if the conditions had stayed tricky and the field more vulnerable.

“But, at the moment, we’re topping the midfield as a team, and that’s what we’re targeting every weekend.”

That line matters. In a season where Racing Bulls rarely threaten the giants but often bloody the noses of those around them, Lawson has become the benchmark of what their package can do on a good day.

And yet his future remains anything but secure.

Driving for a job

Lawson still has no confirmed seat for 2027. His performances have strengthened his case, but inside the Red Bull system, nothing is guaranteed. Formula 2 driver Nikola Tsolov is circling, and Racing Bulls have made no secret of the fact that their driver line-up is still under review.

A decision is expected before the end of the season. Lawson knows that even a campaign like this one might not be enough to keep him on the grid.

Asked whether he can feel the groundswell of support for him to stay, Lawson didn’t hide how much it means – or how little control he has.

“I appreciate all the support I’ve seen over the last few weeks. It’s honestly really nice to see,” he said. “Obviously I would love it if it was more from a team, but, at the moment, I’m just trying to enjoy driving the car because, with everything else going on, I don’t really know what else you know I’m meant to do.

“I don’t know what else I meant to say to you guys. So, at the moment, I’m just going to keep driving and see what happens.

“Obviously, they’ll decide what they do there. I feel like Alan’s been extremely supportive to me, and I appreciate that a lot, and have enjoyed working closely with them and the team this year. But, yeah, obviously it’s [Red Bull] a big organisation.”

On Sunday in São Paulo, Lawson showed once again that he belongs in the thick of it – trading blows with Ferraris, launching off the line, living on the edge in Turn 12. The question now is whether those in that “big organisation” see a future built around that kind of racer, or whether performances like this become part of a what-if story for a talent left watching from the outside.