Liam Lawson has been challenged to make himself undroppable at Racing Bulls, as team principal Alan Permane assessed the New Zealander\u2019s status at the team.<\/p>\n
Lawson<\/a>, who is preparing for his first full season with the Red Bull junior F1 team, has been tasked with eliminating the \u201cinexplicable\u201d low points which Permane says sometimes occur, and let the \u201creal genius\u201d seen at times in his driving become a regular occurrence.<\/p>\n Alan Permane: Make us think we\u2019ve \u2018got to hang on to this guy\u2019<\/p>\n Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Though Lawson made his grand prix debut in 2023, he is yet to complete a full campaign with one team. 2023 and 2024 brought about stand-in appearances with AlphaTauri\/Racing Bulls, while he started 2025 at the senior Red Bull team, before being demoted back to Racing Bulls after two race weekends.<\/p>\n Lawson has been retained for F1 2026, and Permane, in conversation with GPBlog, said Racing Bulls strives to reach a stage with Lawson \u201cwhere we want to keep him here\u201d, as Lawson attempts to secure his longer-term future in the sport.<\/p>\n \u201cI want him to deliver so that we think, \u2018Wow, we\u2019ve got to hang on to this guy. He\u2019s really good,\u2019\u201d Permane added.<\/p>\n Permane, pointing to Baku and Las Vegas 2025 qualifying, said that Lawson showed \u201csome real genius in his driving\u201d in such examples. From third on the grid, Lawson raced to fifth in Baku, and bettered then-Racing Bulls teammate Isack Hadjar by half a second in Las Vegas qualifying, securing sixth on the grid.<\/p>\n Hadjar went on to secure an F1 2026 promotion to the senior Red Bull team.<\/p>\n Permane also stated that Lawson \u201chad brilliant races in Spa, in Hungary, in Austria,\u201d demonstrating that there is \u201csome real talent there\u201d in the New Zealander.<\/p>\n But, Lawson now has to show that consistently, Permane stressed.<\/p>\n It is therefore clear what Lawson must do, if he is to make himself an indispensable asset for Racing Bulls.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes inexplicably, he will go out and Q1, and he doesn\u2019t understand it,\u201d Permane said of Lawson.<\/p>\n \u201cThe good stuff is good, it\u2019s there. And just to eliminate the poor, unexplained results that sometimes come.<\/p>\n \u201cI think once you can do that, the rest will start snowballing and improve.\u201d<\/p>\n More F1 2026 talking points via PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n The five drivers most at risk in F1 2026 \u2018silly season\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n F1 overtaking rules: Guidelines, rules of engagement and possible penalties<\/a><\/p>\n Liam Lawson can show Arvid Lindblad no mercy<\/p>\n Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer recently stated that Lawson earned a new Racing Bulls contract<\/a> after \u201cstabilising\u201d his performance, following a torrid two race weekends with the senior Red Bull team.<\/p>\n Now firmly the experienced head of Racing Bulls, as he prepares to partner British teenage rookie Arvid Lindblad, Lawson has a highly-rated Red Bull prospect on the other side of the garage to test himself against, and use as a means to demonstrate his worth to Racing Bulls.<\/p>\n Lindblad\u2019s impressive, record-breaking, and rapid ascent up the junior ladder is testament to his talents. His speed is unquestionable, though arguably, the 18-year-old still needs to prove that he can handle the pressure, having seen his Italian Formula 4, Formula 3 and Formula 2 title tilts fizzle out.<\/p>\n Lawson must, via his on-track performances, apply maximum pressure on Lindblad. A good working relationship is important, but, Lawson can show no mercy, as he is the far easier driver to justify moving on, should Racing Bulls need to make such a decision.<\/p>\n Permane\u2019s comments should only further hammer that home for Lawson. He needs to shine in F1 2026.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n