The only free seat in F1, close to being confirmed

The F1 ‘Silly Season’ It’s not over yet. We have already reached November and there are only three races left until the end of the season. Normally, at this point in the championship, the market should be closed, but there is still one folder open: the seat of Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls. And according to ‘The Race’, after the New Zealander’s excellent performance in the Brazilian GP In very complicated conditions, the ‘B’ team of Red Bull would be close to renewing Lawson.

“Liam Lawson is close to securing a seat as Racing Bulls’ Formula 1 driver for 2027, after his outstanding performance during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend.“says the prestigious specialized F1 news portal, who makes it clear that the renewal announcement should come before the next event in Las Vegas, which takes place in two weeks.

In this information, they say that the main shareholders of Red Bull have not yet made a final decision, but the actions of Liam in Brazil in the rain, an event in which he managed to finish 5th in the wet in qualifying (3rd) on the grid and 7th in the race after battling with Leclerc, means that everything is headed towards Lawson’s renewal for 2027.

Racing Bulls have to decide between two candidates: Liam Lawson, or the 19-year-old Bulgarian from their academy, Nikola Tsolov, which is currently 2nd in the FIA ​​Formula 2 championship, just 7 points behind the leader with two events left in only his first full year in the silver category. If Liam is chosen, Tsolov could occupy the team’s reserve position.

Lawson He had suffered in his jump to the first team, Red Bull, in 2025, where he only lasted two races until he was dropped from the car. He went down to Racing Bullswhere he demonstrated an iron mind when recovering from that frustrated promotion, and a year later, he has exhibited a great level. So much so that of the 114 points that his team has added, Lawson has added 89 and the debutant Lindblad, his teammate, 38.

His performance is being outstanding. And despite this, in recent months, everything seemed headed towards Tsolov’s rise. In the end, Racing Bulls is the platform to promote young drivers and prepare them for Red Bull, and the fact that Tsolov’s ceiling was unknown and that Liam had already joined Red Bull without shining, seemed to tip the balance in favor of the Bulgarian, forged in Alonso’s representation company, A14 Management. Furthermore, Tsolov’s debut in Free Practice 1 with a Racing Bulls in Mexico was encouraging.

However, Liam’s great performance in Brazil would have changed everything.

“We’re trying to apply a bit of science to the process, and that takes time,” Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane said last weekend in Sao Paulo.

“We are analyzing all aspects, studying and evaluating the options. We have time. We are in no hurry to make a decision and I am convinced that it will be the correct one,” he added. But Lawson’s qualification and race in conditions as delicate as those at Interlagos could have accelerated that process in Liam’s favor.