Thus far in the ongoing 2026 season, three main headlining acts have woven a spell around much of the championship. And that’s purely speaking of narratives. For starters, there’s the Kimi Antonelli onslaught that defined by 8 amazing Grands Prix wins has cast a spell on the world title fight taking Mercedes to a place of absolute ascendency. Second, there’s the mini McLaren revival that marked by Lando Norris’s brilliant triumphs at Hungary and the Netherlands has sort of widened the current state of competition, which given Mercedes and Kimi’s dominant touch was pretty much a one way street.
And thirdly, there are those little moments of joy and perhaps surprising one’s at that given Leclerc’s British GP win at Silverstone and Sir Lewis Hamilton’s win at Barcelona as seen earlier this year that have given die hard fans dopamine kicks for the lack of a better word, especially at a time where usual Ferrari inefficiencies did do much harm for the Scuderia and not the first time, either.
But then are these the only true narratives of this season or could it be that at exactly the same time on the grid where Antonelli is dominating left, right and centre and Norris is trying his best to ensure McLaren bounce back, there’s another lesser noted team whose driver is doing all he can to salvage a great fight in the midfield?
And if that’s indeed the case, then must it be asked that why have we made so little of what Liam Lawson is doing in 2026 as seen so far that despite commendable effort hasn’t been given much of a thought?
No random or lame speak this!
For someone who registered 5 starts for AlphaTauri in 2023, 6 for Racing Bulls in 2024 but got to race for just 2 Grands Prix with the senior Red Bull side in 2025 before being demoted and thus placed back into the Racing Bulls side, it is in the 2026 season that Liam Lawson come into his own. It’s the year where he has driven beautifully to remind detractors that his story is far from over. How’s that?
Well, just simply look at the 2025 FIA world championship season in which he managed 7 top-ten race finishes with a best place result at Azerbaijan (last year, at Baku) that culminated in a P5. And that too, not with a Red Bull!
But this year, of the 14 races to have been held, Liam Lawson had managed 10 top-ten race finishes with a best place result being the recently held Madring contest wherein he bagged a strong sixth aka P6 at Madrid.
That was with Red Bull alongside Verstappen.
That being said, for a driver who until a couple of seasons ago wasn’t able to drive home to points all that regularly and perhaps even appeared somewhat out of sorts, getting a best place race result at Baku in 2025 (P5) is visible improvement. And what’s even commendable is him finishing strongly and regularly inside the top ten in 2026, which he’s managed on 10 separate occasions!
There’s consistency as also peak personal form in that as well, isn’t it?
Take nothing away from the fact that suddenly getting used to Racing Bulls and then having to replace the inured Isack Hadjar to adjust and cope at Red Bull, where one’s expected to perform pretty much akin to an ace given Verstappen’s lofty standards can be anything but smooth.
And that sort of challenge – having to jump cars and get familiar amid pressure- would never have been that easy- right?
But despite of this, despite of Lawson having bagged no fewer than 59 points already from the races held so far, there’s still something about the driver that one notes, according to Nico Rosberg, the New Zealand driver doesn’t have or say, lacks.
So what is that to which even Laurent Mekies doesn’t agree to given Nico’s recent assessment of Liam Lawson?
But before we come to that part it’s important to note that Lawson’s career is perhaps still having a bit of uncertainty where it comes to making a proper and another full time Red Bull switch. That’s because he’s been there and seemed visibly uncomfortable even if that was back in the day. And that there’s also a growing competition that seems to have emerged for the prime Red Bull seat.
This is where Nico has questioned- or so it seems- the potential and talent as also the caliber of Lawson, despite the young driver’s impressive recent string of results of 2026.
Speaking to Sky F1s he said- “That’s certainly a difficult decision. They do need to decide at some point. The thing for Red Bull, though, is they’re looking for the next Max Verstappen and the next Sebastian Vettel. Everything else is just not good enough. At the moment, I’m not sure that Liam Lawson would be considered at that level with what he’s been producing so far. With Lindblad and also Hadjar, it’s still possible in the discussions for them.”
That being told, it’s worthwhile to remember that Liam scored a P7 at the Zandvoort event at The Netherlands and then as seen most recently, a fighting P6 at the Madring.
Whether he’s still rated that highly as to be able to get a drive at Red Bull is something for Laurent Mekies to decide and the team around and their circumstances. But the efforts are perhaps visible from Liam’s end.
Besides having just 1 DNF this year, the team he’s not as per Rosberg ready to move to for another chance (if at all), has already seen the legendary and brilliant Verstappen with 3 DNF’s.
