Sky Sports F1 presenter savages Racing Bulls over Liam Lawson contract decision

Sky Sports F1 broadcaster Ted Kravitz has questioned Racing Bulls' delay in handing Liam Lawson a new contract for 2027 after another impressive performance from the Kiwi at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Lawson qualified P3 in chaotic conditions ahead of Sunday's race in Sao Paulo, continuing his impressive recent form at a time when his future in the sport is under massive doubt.

Racing Bulls are yet to confirm him or Arvid Lindblad for next season, but the general consensus is that Lindblad will remain, with Lawson's position being the one under threat as Red Bull junior star and F2 championship leader Nikola Tsolov waits in the wings.

Lawson himself has admitted, 'I don’t know what else they want me to do,' given that he sits ninth in the drivers' standings - the highest of any driver outside the top four teams - and 45 points clear of his teammate.

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Ted Kravitz questions Racing Bulls over Liam Lawson delay

Kravitz discussed Lawson's situation on his Qualifying Notebook on Sky Sports F1 after Saturday’s chaotic session, and savaged the team for having not yet given him a new deal despite his continued impressive performances.

“Alan Permane is standing in front of a picture of Liam Lawson because he's starting P3. Liam Lawson, not Alan Permane,” Kravitz said. “Liam Lawson starting P3 on the grid, you [Permane] ignore me. I'm about to say something about your driver choices that you might not want to hear…They can't sack him now! Or can they?

“I mean, for all the tea in China … I even asked Liam Lawson on Thursday, you've scored 24 points in the last four races; he's just qualified third on the grid, alright, Arvid Lindlad had a technical problem and couldn’t show what he could do, but Liam Lawson third on the grid in a Racing Bulls? They can’t sack him now!

“Even if Nikola Tsolov is Max Verstappen, Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso rolled into one, where’s the harm of giving Tsolov another year to just cement himself as a Formula 1 driver as a reserve? Give him all the FP1s you want. Come up with an interesting racing series for him to do. It's all good experience. You don't need to rush him in so quickly.”

Kravitz: Racing Bulls can't drop Lawson now

After discussing how impressive Tsolov was in FP1 at the Mexican Grand Prix, Kravitz still urged Racing Bulls to stick with Lawson.

“He’s [Tsolov] still young; he's only 20 years old,” Kravitz continued. “So there's time yet and listen, if it doesn't work out, then give Liam Lawson half the season and say, all right, we're gonna put Tsolov in for the second half of the season … because to drop Lawson now and leave him with no options is a bit difficult.

"And then you never know what will happen, there’ll be lots of seats available for 2027 and then at least Liam Lawson will have a bit more time if indeed it looks like he isn’t part of Red Bull’s long term plans.”

Kravitz ended with a plea to Red Bull’s hierarchy: “So come on Oliver Mintzlaff (CEO), come on Gwen Lagrue (director of Red Bull’s junior programme), come on the Thai Yoovidhya family (owner), come on Mark Mateschitz (owner), you can’t drop Liam Lawson now!”

Lawson put in another strong performance in damp conditions in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix, finishing P8 and picking up more points for his team.

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