Liam Lawson has marked a promising start to his stint with Red Bull Racing during the 2026 Formula 1® season, highlighted by a sixth-place finish at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. This result stands as his best since stepping up to the senior team, reflecting steady progress over his first three race weekends with the squad.
Lawson took over from the injured Isack Hadjar midway through the season and has now scored points twice for Red Bull Racing, finishing seventh in the Netherlands before improving to sixth in Spain. His performances come after a strong run earlier in the year with Racing Bulls, where he scored points in eight of 11 races, which contributed to his recall to the senior team.
The Madrid street circuit presented particular challenges for Lawson, especially in terms of overtaking opportunities. He noted the difficulty in making passes and highlighted how the Virtual Safety Car periods affected race strategy, including negating the advantage of a key overtaking move on Franco Colapinto. Despite these hurdles, Lawson expressed satisfaction with his ability to adapt to the Red Bull car and maximize his results during a busy and demanding stretch of the season.
Lawson contrasted his current form with the start of 2025, when he only competed in two races before returning to Racing Bulls. His recent outings with Red Bull Racing have been more consistent, and he expressed pride in the progress made over the last three weekends. Meanwhile, Isack Hadjar was present in the paddock at Madrid but remains sidelined with a wrist injury, with no confirmed date for his return. The next race on the calendar is scheduled to take place in Baku in two weeks.
Overall, Lawson’s reflections underline a period of adjustment and growth as he settles into his role with Red Bull Racing. His ability to score points and handle the complexities of street circuits and race interruptions suggests a solid foundation for the remainder of the season. While he wished to have added points at Monza as well, his recent performances indicate a positive trajectory.
This phase of Lawson’s season offers insight into how Red Bull Racing is managing driver line-up changes due to injury and how emerging talents are integrated into the team environment. The situation with Hadjar’s recovery remains open, but Lawson’s contributions have helped maintain Red Bull’s presence in the points during this period.
Lawson’s comments provide a clear view of his current standing within the sport and the challenges faced when stepping into a top team mid-season. His experience in Madrid and the surrounding race weekends reflects both the demands of Formula 1® competition and the resilience required to adapt quickly to new machinery and race conditions.