Liam Lawson Told to Unlock 'Genius' Driving More Consistently

Liam Lawson has been instructed to channel his moments of "genius" driving more consistently after his team principal highlighted "inexplicable" performance slumps. The Racing Bulls driver showed high potential with strong results in 2025 but mixed them with underwhelming weekends, a pattern the team wants to eliminate as he steps into a leadership role.

Why it matters:

For a driver in the Red Bull system, consistency is the final hurdle to securing a long-term future in Formula 1. Lawson has demonstrated the raw speed to be a top-tier driver, but eradicating unpredictable off-weekends is crucial to convincing his team—and the wider Red Bull program—that he is a championship-caliber talent worth retaining.

The details:

• Team Principal Alan Permane publicly praised Lawson's high points, citing a third-place qualifying in tricky Baku conditions and a sixth in Vegas, plus strong races in Spa, Hungary, and Austria as evidence of "real genius."
• The concern stems from sudden, unexplained drops in performance, such as a poor Singapore weekend where crashes in practice led to a 12th-place grid spot and a 15th-place finish.
• Permane's goal is for Lawson to perform so reliably that the team is compelled to "hang on to this guy," framing consistency as the key to his career security.
• The directive comes as Lawson assumes the de facto team leader position alongside rookie Arvid Lindblad for the upcoming season, placing greater responsibility on his shoulders.

Looking ahead:

The 2026 season becomes a critical proving ground for Lawson. If he can minimize the off-weekends and allow his peak performances to "snowball," he will solidify his status within Racing Bulls and position himself as a serious candidate for a future Red Bull Racing seat. Failure to find that consistency, however, could see him lose ground in the notoriously competitive driver market.