Liam Lawson says he is hopeful he has done enough to stay on the grid in 2026. Image: XPB Images
The New Zealander, who began the year at Red Bull’s senior team before being demoted after the opening two rounds, has delivered a mixed campaign, highlighted by a career-best fifth place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Ahead of this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix, Lawson insisted that his consistent on-track performances give him confidence ahead of Red Bull’s decision.
“I think hindsight’s amazing. You always look back on stuff that you’ve done and you always learn from things,” Lawson said.
“We’re not perfect – I’m definitely not perfect – and for sure there are things over a season that I’ll look back on and learn from mainly.
“But I think that’s the main thing – as long as I look back on those mistakes and I learn from them and try not to do them again, that’s the most important thing.
“So I think from that side, yes, I feel like I’ve done everything that I can, and I’ll continue doing that.”
The 23-year-old added that the Red Bull driver pathway has always been results-driven.
“I’m just going to drive as fast as I can every time I get in the car,” he said.
“I don’t think that changes too much. I think obviously it’s a results-based programme – it’s always been performance-based since I joined when I was 16.
“It was always about performing and then you get promoted and stay in the sport. That’s literally as simple as I can put it.”
Tsunoda, also fighting for his F1 future amid speculation he could be replaced by Lawson’s Racing Bulls teammate Isack Hadjar at Red Bull next season, said he is focused on proving his value in the closing stages, particularly in supporting the team’s constructors’ championship bid alongside Max Verstappen.
“I’m very grateful for this opportunity that I’ve been given, and I just have to maximise it as much as possible. That’s the only focus I’m doing,” he said.
On the factors that could sway Red Bull’s decision, Tsunoda explained:
“I guess the results [are what matter], right?
“For me it’s more clear. It’s been a crucial moment as a team and also for the championship, especially with my teammate.
“So how much I can support that. And yeah, this is the potential, like I said, to be P2 in the team championship, which is very good. And what I scored in Austin was obviously a good step.
“So, yeah, I’m going to have to do more. Or, yeah, it’s basically more of the same and just keep scoring every race.”
Both drivers are aware that only one seat may ultimately be available for the 2026 season, with Hadjar expected to join Red Bull alongside Verstappen, and Formula 2 rookie Arvid Lindblad in contention for Racing Bulls.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko last week said that a decision on both teams’ driver line-ups would be made after this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.
Despite the uncertainty, Lawson said he remained focused on preparation and performance rather than speculation.
“Every weekend I’m going into it trying to do the best job I can, and I’ll do the same thing this weekend,” he explained.
“We’ve done all the preparations, and it’s actually a track that I quite enjoy driving.
“So in terms of the approach, nothing really changes, and then we’ll see.”
Tsunoda also addressed recent tension with Lawson following the United States Grand Prix, where the Japanese driver publicly criticised his former teammate after accusing him of blocking him during qualifying.
During Thursday’s press conference in Mexico, in which he was seated next to Lawson, Tsunoda apologised for his earlier comments.
“I apologised to the team, to VCARB. What I said, especially in the media, was very unnecessary,” he said.
Lawson added that the intensity of the championship makes close racing inevitable.
“It’s an intense part of the season. So for sure, obviously, each weekend’s going to be tough,” he said.
“It’s just incredibly close this year. So each session – especially in qualifying – we’re trying to extract everything.
“So it’s little things that make a difference.”