Henry Eccles is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs, and features across the F1 calendar. Since joining in 2026, he has produced high-volume reporting on the sport’s biggest stories, alongside feature pieces including analysis and historical content.
Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer agrees with the paddock view that Liam Lawson has done enough to keep his seat for 2027. However, in the same answer, he said Faenza's job is to keep promoting young drivers, and that puts Nikola Tsolov firmly in the frame.
Navigating a difficult weekend in Mexico City - kicked off by a needless collision with Red Bull's Max Verstappen during Free Practice - Lawson performed an impressive recovery drive at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The Kiwi secured P7 from a pit lane start, albeit with the help of penalties to Oscar Piastri and Franco Colapinto.
Despite the strong performance, Lawson confirmed that there are still no guarantees he will be be racing for the Red Bull sister team in 2027, with Tsolov - who replaced him during FP1 in Mexico - impressing in F2 this season and emerging as a threat to the Lawson's seat.
"I'm trying my best, every weekend trying to maximise," Lawson said post-race. "Today I gave it everything. But there's definitely no assurance at the moment. It's a tough sport. So, right now I don't know what else to say, really."
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Bayer praises Tsolov after Mexico debut
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
Speaking to Austrian broadcaster ORF, Racing Bulls CEO Bayer was clearly very impressed with Tsolov's FP1 performance. In what was his F1 debut, the Bulgarian finished P12, just one tenth off teammate Arvid Lindblad.
"Honestly, [Tsolov's] performance on Friday was superb. It was his first time in the car, and he integrated into the team absolutely perfectly," Bayer said.
"Regarding the driver decision, he put in a fantastic performance. That decision rests with [team principal] Alan [Permane], and he will make it, or rather, announce it when he feels the time is right."
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Asked whether Lawson had done enough to justify keeping his seat, Bayer agreed. "That's the general consensus in the paddock," he said. However, the Austrian made the point that Racing Bulls are a "leading developer of talent," having handed Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel their F1 debuts before their title-laden years at senior team Red Bull.
"At the same time, our role, as the leading developer of talent in Formula 1, is to continuously bring new drivers through," Bayer explained. "We've brought 22 drivers into Formula 1, including the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and others.
"That's why I say that, at the end of the day, the decision lies with Alan. And he will make the right choice for the team. We chatted about that briefly on Saturday."
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