Liam Lawson receives major Red Bull target as fresh driver goals revealed

At the halfway point of the F1 season, it is a good time to take stock and evaluate how every driver is doing, and what they must do in the remaining 10 races when the campaign resumes.

With this in mind, in a two-part special, RacingNews365 has taken a look at each of the 20 drivers and has come up with a simple target each should aim to achieve. 

Part two, including a surprising goal for Lewis Hamilton, will be published on Sunday, August 24th, with part one below. 

Find out who can still save his F1 career, who can firmly silence the long-term doubters and why Liam Lawson needs to prove a point to Red Bull.

Fernando Alonso

The whole Aston Martin raison d'être is 2026. Like Max Verstappen at Red Bull, Alonso must get this team to gel and be ready to compete for a world title push. It’s his last big challenge in F1. 

Lance Stroll

Stroll has had a mixed season, with some lowlights, but then genuine pace, like in Hungary, which was his best performance of the season. 

Performances like that will ensure the ever-present question about his status in the team is quietened down.

Isack Hadjar

Hadjar’s performances have led to the inevitable question of a step up to Red Bull. 

He needs to simply continue on as he has and make sure he is a strong candidate for that seat if Yuki Tsunoda does not save himself.

Pierre Gasly

Gasly claimed earlier this season that, given the unknowns of 2026, he can be world champion next season – and that is a strong possibility given the scale of the changes.

Throw in the fact that Alpine is transitioning to Mercedes power, he must continue to be the team leader and drive Alpine forward as its new leadership team settles in. He is the rock on which Alpine is built at the moment.

Liam Lawson

Lawson’s form in the four races before the summer break was outstanding with a sixth and two eighth places in his results. 

He needs to keep that up and prove to Red Bull it made a mistake in dropping him after just two races.

Carlos Sainz

Sainz at Williams has been one of the biggest disappointments of the season so far, save only Hamilton at Ferrari. 

Given the pace of the Williams, helping the team to fend off challengers and maintain fifth is Sainz’s sole goal.

Gabriel Bortoleto

The reigning F2 champion had a slow start to his career, in a difficult car, it must be added, but points in three of the last four races is strong progress.

If you take Hulkenberg’s podium out, he is just eight points ahead of the Brazilian. Trying to close down the current 23-point gap as far as possible is Bortoleto’s goal.

Yuki Tsunoda

Very simply – save his Red Bull seat and F1 career.

Oliver Bearman

Whilst there have been flashes of pace at times, Bearman has also dropped one or two clangers – especially in FP3 at Silverstone, where he attacked the pit-lane entry at full racing speed, despite the track being under red flag conditions.

 He also had a red flag infringement in Monaco. He needs to cut these out and try to edge ahead of Ocon in the head-to-heads now that he has proven he can match the established grand prix winner.

Franco Colapinto

Colapinto has the one thing Jack Doohan does not: the car with which to change his future. As long as he is in the Alpine, he can do something to prove he should be in it next season as well. 

His future is uncertain at the moment, but a good performance or three can change all of that.