Liam Lawson revealed his and Racing Bulls\u2019 work on its 2026 car will step up in the new year, with he and the team having kept the majority of its focus on the 2025 Constructors\u2019 Championship battle.<\/p>\n
The Faenza-based team secured sixth place in the standings in an extremely tight battle in the midfield, earning valuable extra prize money for Red Bull\u2019s sister squad in the process.<\/p>\n
Liam Lawson: F1 2026 preparations to step up in the new year<\/p>\n
Lawson\u2019s future within the Red Bull stable was confirmed for 2026 ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, having been moved back into Racing Bulls after only two races alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull at the start of the year.<\/p>\n
Lawson will be joined by next season\u2019s only rookie, Arvid Lindblad, at Racing Bulls in 2026, with sweeping regulation changes set to change the cars\u2019 chassis and power units.<\/p>\n
While some teams, such as Aston Martin and Ferrari, opted to switch the majority of its development focus to 2026 early on in the season, Red Bull kept developing the RB21 to both establish working processes under team principal, Laurent Mekies, and keep up as much of a title challenge as possible.<\/p>\n
With Racing Bulls<\/a> having been in its own tight battle in the Constructors\u2019 standings, Lawson revealed in Abu Dhabi that, while work goes on in the background on the team\u2019s 2026 car, the drivers kept focus on track for 2025.<\/p>\n More on F1 2026 from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n F1 2026 tech analysed: The future of overtaking and biggest car advantage identified<\/a><\/p>\n F1 2025 vs F1 2026: Nine key questions ahead of massive regulation changes<\/a><\/p>\n Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust.<\/p>\n With that, his preparations will step up further in the new year.<\/p>\n \u201cNot a huge amount,\u201d Lawson told PlanetF1.com and other media when asked about how much work he has completed on the team\u2019s 2026 challenger.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve done a little bit, but I think the main thing is the development\u2019s really been done by the team. We can\u2019t look at it too much until the season is done, because we have [had] such an important final few races.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve done a few days in the simulator and spent a few hours basically looking at at data, but I think it\u2019s going to be something that kicks off early next year.\u201d<\/p>\n Lawson<\/a> and Yuki Tsunoda\u2019s futures within Red Bull were thought to be uncertain as the 2025 season progressed, but the New Zealander\u2019s improved form across the second half of the season saw his deal renewed for 2026.<\/p>\n Admitting previously it is a normal scenario to be told late in the season he would remain within the Red Bull stable, he is looking forward to heading into the new year with the full benefit of pre-season testing and a build-up to the new season.<\/p>\n Asked if he felt a sense of \u2018relief\u2019 knowing his seat is secure going into 2026, Lawson replied: \u201cMaybe a little bit.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s definitely a different position to be going into. I haven\u2019t really had this before, not last year, at least.<\/p>\n \u201cI will try and enjoy the weekends as much as possible, but it\u2019s more exciting to basically go into next year knowing that I have a pre-season to work with the team and properly be ready for the next season\u2019s challenges, especially with the new regs.\u201d<\/p>\n Additional reporting by Mat Coch and Thomas Maher<\/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