Liam Lawson backed for Red Bull family contract extension

Former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner has backed Liam Lawson to be retained by the Red Bull family next season and given a second campaign with the sister team. 

Lawson was handed a full-time Red Bull contract following the exit of Sergio Perez; however, the Austrian outfit chose to swap the New Zealander and Yuki Tsunoda after just two races. 

The 23-year-old faced immediate difficulties alongside Max Verstappen, although has also struggled to beat Racing Bulls team-mate Isack Hadjar. 

Hadjar has made an impressive start to his rookie campaign and has been tipped by many as Tsunoda's successor. 

Steiner agrees that Hadjar could receive a promotion for 2026, but believes keeping the Racing Bulls driver pairing the same is the best option.

"I think they want a little bit of calm in there," Steiner told the Red Flags podcast. "Yeah, Hadjar could go to Red Bull. 

"If Yuki doesn't do anything good, I think it is a test for him. I don't think that Yuki goes back to Racing Bulls, either he stays at Red Bull or he goes somewhere else or he goes home. 

"But I don't think he goes back to Racing Bulls, and if that happens, Hadjar, obviously, what we just said before, it will be that he's a candidate [for Red Bull]. 

Despite Steiner's thoughts that Racing Bulls retaining Hadjar and Lawson is the correct move for next year, Red Bull junior driver Arvid Lindblad has been speculated with a promotion. 

The 17-year-old is in his maiden F2 season and claimed victory in Jeddah, although Steiner still thinks Hadjar and in particular Lawson should be kept for another season.

"But at the moment, I [think it should] stay what it is, because I don't think they let Liam Lawson go after what happened in the beginning of this season.

"They will give him a second year at Racing Bulls, and then see what to do. And Lindblad is very young, so I think we shouldn't, now jump to the conclusion, because he won his first F2 race, that he's the next F1 world champion."