Former IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe has backed Liam Lawson to maintain his seat at Racing Bulls for the 2027 season.
The Purple Bull sister squad has not but confirmed its line-up for subsequent 12 months because it mulls over its choices.
Whereas Arvid Lindblad is anticipated to retain his seat following a formidable rookie marketing campaign, Liam Lawson’s place is much less clear regardless of a robust season so far.
Purple Bull junior Nikola Tsolov is ready within the wings for a promotion to F1 as he fights for the F2 championship in his rookie season.
However having scored over 55 per cent of Racing Bulls’ factors this 12 months, Hinchcliffe believes Lawson has performed sufficient to maintain his drive.
“He is performed loads to justify being again at that group,” Hinchcliffe informed the F1 Nation podcast.
“I think about that lineup’s unchanged subsequent 12 months. It simply stings proper now.”
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Lawson radio frustration a ‘pure’ response
Lawson retired from final weekend’s race in Baku after a coming along with teammate Arvid Lindblad throughout a security automotive restart.
The New Zealander conveyed a pissed off message over the group radio about being taken out by the opposite Racing Bulls driver, however Hinchcliffe insisted it was a uncooked response to the high-pressure scenario.
“That is a pure response within the second,” he mentioned.
“I imply, you will recover from that stuff. It was nothing Lawson did improper.
“There’s nothing in that second that the group can use in opposition to him within the case of whether or not or not he ought to be again there subsequent 12 months.”
Racing driver and Hinchcliffe’s podcast co-host Alex Brundle insisted Lawson may be pleased with his season, which included a quick step as much as the Purple Bull group.
“Hopping as much as the primary group, delivering the performances, hopping again down once more, being on the tempo, I fully agree,” he mentioned.
“Not less than you possibly can return to the storage together with your head held excessive and go, ‘Effectively, I used to be taken out of the race at present. What’s it you wish to do me about it? I used to be forward of that man as a result of that is how I ended up backwards within the runoff space’.”
