Red Bull warned against sacrificing Liam Lawson for rising junior star

Writing in his column for Formula1.com, Hinchcliffe questioned why Lawson's position remains uncertain despite an impressive 2026 campaign. The Racing Bulls driver currently sits ninth in the Drivers' Championship, ahead of everyone outside the four leading teams, while his performances have helped the Italian outfit establish itself in fifth place in the Constructors' standings.

Lawson has also built a substantial advantage over rookie team mate Arvid Lindblad, scoring almost twice as many points. Nevertheless, the emergence of Formula 2 title contender Nikola Tsolov has created another selection dilemma for Red Bull ahead of next season.

Hinchcliffe highlighted the unusual nature of Lawson's situation, particularly given the consistency he has demonstrated throughout the year: "Imagine all that, and then imagine it’s your seat that’s under threat. From a driver that’s never started a Grand Prix."

Lawson's F1 career has already featured several unexpected developments. He made his debut at Zandvoort in 2023 after Daniel Ricciardo suffered a wrist injury, immediately showing his potential despite limited preparation. He finished ahead of Yuki Tsunoda on his debut, narrowly missed out on points at Monza and subsequently scored his first F1 points in Singapore.

Despite those performances, Ricciardo retained his seat for 2024 before Lawson eventually replaced him at the United States Grand Prix. His subsequent performances earned him promotion to Red Bull for 2025, although that opportunity lasted just two races before he returned to Racing Bulls.

His progress this season has been considerably more encouraging. Lawson has established himself as the team's leading points scorer and was also called upon to substitute for Isack Hadjar at Red Bull earlier in the campaign.

For Hinchcliffe, those performances should carry greater weight than the potential of another emerging talent: "If I were in charge of the Red Bull driver program, as promising as Tsolov is, I would retain the status quo for 2027."

The complication for Racing Bulls comes from Tsolov's rapid progression through the junior categories. The Bulgarian, previously associated with Alpine's academy before joining Red Bull's programme, currently occupies second place in the Formula 2 standings during his rookie campaign.

His results have strengthened the argument for an immediate promotion to Formula 1, particularly as his performances have improved with each step up the junior racing ladder. Should he win the F2 championship, another season in the category would not be possible, potentially leaving Red Bull with the choice of promoting him or keeping him on the sidelines.

However, Hinchcliffe believes Racing Bulls should prioritise continuity, especially with Lindblad already demonstrating considerable potential in his first Formula 1 season. The British youngster could make another significant step forward in 2027, following the development trajectories seen with Oscar Piastri and Kimi Antonelli.

The former IndyCar driver also pointed to Lawson's reaction to his temporary return to Red Bull earlier this year as evidence of his determination. Despite receiving praise for his performances while replacing Hadjar, Lawson himself was less satisfied with the experience: "It says that he is a fighter. That he is a racer. That he wants more."

Hinchcliffe ultimately sees no compelling reason to change a driver pairing that is already delivering results, even if that means Tsolov must wait another year for his opportunity.