Liam Lawson's Zandvoort heroics should put his F1 future beyond doubt

Liam Lawson's stand-in performance at the Dutch Grand Prix should have secured his Formula 1 future — and it may have opened doors beyond Red Bull.

Called up to replace the injured Isack Hadjar, Lawson qualified eighth, just 0.115s behind Max Verstappen, before finishing seventh and scoring six points at Zandvoort.

Why it matters:

Lawson became the first driver in Red Bull's history to be moved out of its senior team and then return to race for it. His performance put the rest of the paddock on high alert — and that, rather than another shot at Red Bull, could be the most significant consequence of his weekend.

The details:

• Lawson was already enjoying a strong season with Racing Bulls — 43 points in the opening 11 rounds, ninth in the standings, and the leading driver outside the top four teams.
• Across five qualifying segments at Zandvoort, he averaged just 0.128s from Verstappen, with a final Q3 deficit of only 0.115s — well inside the three-tenths benchmark Red Bull traditionally expects from its second driver.
• He had never driven the RB22 before the weekend and had just one practice session, plus simulator work, on a sprint weekend.

The big picture:

Lawson wants to win in F1 — not necessarily with Red Bull. That matters because Racing Bulls has a driver dilemma: with Verstappen and Hadjar confirmed at Red Bull for 2027, Lawson, Arvid Lindblad and Nikola Tsolov are competing for two seats. Tsolov leads the F2 championship and has been described as "next in line" by team principal Alan Permane.

What's next:

Pierre Gasly's career arc — leaving Red Bull, rebuilding at the sister team, and now leading Alpine's project — is the precedent. If another team comes calling with a genuine opportunity to build towards the front, Lawson has earned it.

Zandvoort was where his F1 journey started in 2023. It may now be the perfect moment for him to move on.