Speaking in print media sessions ahead of the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP, Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad shared their reactions to Isack Hadjar securing his Red Bull seat for another season in 2027.
Lawson dismisses disappointment about Hadjar’s 2027 Red Bull seat
Addressing Hadjar’s early confirmation at Red Bull, Liam Lawson minimised any sense of disappointment regarding his own prospects for that specific seat. Lawson explained that he never expected a permanent Red Bull seat for the current season, having focused primarily on his competition with the Racing Bulls.
He admitted that his recent races filling in at Red Bull for Hadjar proved challenging, but he welcomed the experience and expressed excitement about being back in his regular environment.
“Not really. I mean, the thing is, I’m not really… There was never really… I wasn’t meant to drive this year at Red Bull. Obviously, we’ve very much been in the fight with VCARB. And I wasn’t really looking at that, to be honest.
“So, it was great to do those races. It was challenging, honestly. But it didn’t really change anything that I was thinking outside of that for next year. So yeah, I think it’s pretty standard.
“It’s not surprising, I’d say.”
The New Zealander noted that discussions regarding his future at the Racing Bulls for the next year will likely speed up over the upcoming races as it is now the time of the year where all decisions get made.
Rather than stressing, he aims to keep scoring points. Reflecting on whether his recent races proved worth following his turbulent exit from Red Bull very early last season, Lawson clarified that he never doubted his own driving ability, leaving the debate to observers.
“Probably soon. I mean, I would say in the next few races, this time of year is obviously when all these decisions get made. So, yeah, it’s something that’s obviously being discussed in the background.
“For me, it’s not something I’m really discussing too much, but I’m just trying to keep the string of points runs going. I think that was maybe what made the races at Red Bull maybe a little bit more of a challenge. Or maybe had me a little bit more vulnerable, just because it’s a car that’s quite difficult to drive and I’m not used to it. And at this time of year, it’s obviously quite tough. But they were good, and now I’m excited to be back.
“Yeah, I mean, maybe that’s obviously for you guys to decide. For me, it’s something that I didn’t come out of last year and question my ability to drive a race car. So it’s nice that I’ve been able to obviously have those races and maybe show the rest of the world, but it didn’t change anything for me, to be honest.”
Lindblad praises Hadjar’s performance
As well as Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad also addressed the timing of Hadjar’s early contract extension for F1 2027 at Red Bull, admitting it arrived sooner than normally. However, he praised Isack Hadjar, pointing out that he stands out as one of the few drivers in recent years to comfortably perform in the notably difficult second Red Bull seat.
Despite the team announcement, Lindblad insisted that the confirmations did not distract him. He remains unconcerned with other drivers’ announcements, keeping his head down and concentrating on his own career path.
Enjoying his time working alongside the Racing Bulls team, Lindblad emphasised that his only priority is delivering strong performances while letting the contract talks unfold naturally in the background.
“I would say yeah, it’s a little bit earlier than normal, but also you know full credit to Isack, he’s probably been one of the first drivers in the last ten years that has comfortably been performing, or whatever, eight years has been performing well as the second driver in Red Bull, so also you know fair play to him that he gets that comfort of getting announced a bit earlier. For myself, it wasn’t really something I was thinking about. I’m very focused on myself, I know my own path and trajectory that I’m on.
“I’m focused on this year. I’m very happy where I am at the moment, I’m really enjoying working with the team and I’m just focused on performing as I am every weekend.
“It’s not something I’m overly focused on. I’m just focused on my own year and doing as best as I can. There’s always discussions going on in the background.”
Lastly, he noted that the success of Hadjar in the second Red Bull seat provides a welcome confidence boost for other drivers eyeing that team for the future.
“Yeah, I think it’s obviously nice to see that, you know, Isack’s closer to Max. It’s a bit more confidence given, you could say.”
