Mekies says Racing Bulls will decide Lawson’s future

Liam Lawson’s seventh place in Brazil brought a second consecutive points finish, but his place at Racing Bulls for 2027 remains uncertain. He is ninth in the championship on 89 points. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies says decisions about Racing Bulls’ drivers belong to the team itself.

After the race, Mekies was asked whether he had a role in the lineup decision. He drew a distinction between giving an opinion and making the call, saying he did not have to make the decision.

Asked whether it would be difficult to justify dropping a driver with twice his teammate’s points, Mekies declined to give his public view. He said that could make the decision appear to be his. He also said Racing Bulls had all the data and experience, and praised team principal Alan Permane’s understanding of racing.

Mekies said Red Bull and Racing Bulls share a junior programme, and that Red Bull can promote drivers from Racing Bulls to Red Bull Racing. He cited Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar as examples. How drivers make their way through Formula 1 is for Racing Bulls to decide, he said. From Red Bull’s perspective, there was no reason to hurry the decision.