Lawson reveals Qatar meeting confirmed his 2026 Racing Bulls F1 seat

Liam Lawson has pinpointed the post-Qatar Grand Prix meeting with Racing Bulls team boss Alan Permane as the definitive moment he learned he would retain his Formula 1 seat for the 2026 season. The confirmation ended weeks of speculation and allowed the New Zealander to approach the season finale in Abu Dhabi with clarity and reduced pressure after an intense year.

Why it matters:

Securing his future before the offseason provides Lawson with crucial stability and a clear runway to prepare for a pivotal season under the new 2026 regulations. For Racing Bulls, locking in a driver who delivered their best individual points haul in years signals confidence in his development and his role in the team's long-term project.

The details:

• Lawson described the 2025 season as "very busy" and "very intense," having started the year with the senior Red Bull team before being reassigned to Racing Bulls.
• His on-track performance was the key driver, amassing 38 points across seven points finishes. The highlight was a career weekend in Baku, where he qualified third and finished fifth.
• He cited a breakthrough in car setup around the Austrian Grand Prix as a turning point for his consistency in the second half of the season.
• With his future settled, Lawson's focus shifted to helping the team secure sixth place in the Constructors' Championship, a battle they narrowly won over Aston Martin by three points.

The big picture:

Lawson's 38-point season marks the highest tally for a New Zealand driver in F1 since Denny Hulme in 1972, cementing his status as the nation's leading motorsport export. He views this as part of a "golden era" for Kiwi drivers, pointing to success stories like Shane van Gisbergen in NASCAR and Matthew Payne in Supercars. Despite the increased recognition, he values the relatively normal life he can lead when returning home.

What's next:

Lawson now heads into the offseason and a crucial winter of preparation. His immediate plans include returning to New Zealand for family time over Christmas, a potential dirt track race against van Gisbergen, and enjoying a summer break. The long-term focus is squarely on the 2026 season, where he will tackle the new generation of F1 cars, which he acknowledges will likely be slower initially than the fully developed machines of the current regulatory era.