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Liam Lawson sends blunt Red Bull message over uncertain F1 future

Published

3 hours ago

November 9, 2026

Naiara Galarraga GortazarSantiago TorradoMacarena Vidal Liy

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Liam Lawson is still waiting to find out if he has an F1 seat for 2027 after another super show at Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old New Zealander has been terrific this season, and he added another stellar drive to his 2026 highlight reel by claiming a P7 finish at Interlagos.

It topped off another excellent weekend for the young Kiwi, who had started on the second row after qualifying in P5 and then having grid penalties promote him further.

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While Lawson didn’t have the pace to hang on to his lofty P3 starting position he got ahead of race winner Lando Norris in the early stages and was again the best of the rest in F1’s fierce midfield battle. He finished P8 on track but was moved up a slot when Ferrari star Charles Leclerc was penalised for bumping him.

Lawson stands ninth in the Drivers’ standings with 89 points – some 51 ahead of rookie team-mate Arvid Lindblad. Despite his performances though Racing Bulls have still to confirm he will return again in 2027.

F1 HEADLINES: Max Verstappen slams ‘disaster’ Red Bull as Liam Lawson contract decision savaged

Lawson on support: ‘I would love it if it was more from a team!

As speculation about a potential promotion for Bulgarian prodigy Nikola Tsolov continues, Lawson admits he is not sure what else he can do to prove his worth at this stage.

“I appreciate all the support I’ve seen over the last few weeks,” he said.

“It’s honestly really nice to see. Obviously, I would love it if it was more from a team! But at the moment, I’m just trying to enjoy driving the car because with everything else going on, I don’t really know what else I’m meant to do.

“I don’t know what else I’m meant to say to you guys. I’m just going to keep driving and yeah, see what happens.

“I feel like Alan’s [Permane, Racing Bulls team principal] been extremely supportive to me, and I appreciate that a lot, and I have enjoyed working closely with them and with the team this year. But obviously it’s a big organisation.”

Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane.

Racing Bulls maximised Interlagos opportunity

Lawson was satisfied with his finishing position at Interlagos, feeling he and the team had not left points on the table.

“I feel like we maximised today. I had a strong race. I would have liked it to stay wet the whole race. It would have been cool. I probably would have had more of a shot there.

“But at the moment, we’re topping the midfield as a team, and that’s what we’re targeting every weekend.”

Lawson honest about where he stands in F1 pecking order

Lawson is also honest about where Racing Bulls are lacking when they do get a chance to compete at the front of the grid.

“I mean, crazy race. Honestly, I had a really good start. Good grip in Turn 1. Obviously made up a place, and then to be honest, I was thinking I might try and attack Kimi [Antonelli] at some point in the lap,” he added.

“But yeah, just once the pace stabilises, they’re a lot quicker than us, and we started to pull back.

“We were damaging our tyre, I think, quite a lot more than them. And then I think the pace on the dry was okay.”

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FIA confirm Max Verstappen hit with 30-place grid penalty ahead of Brazilian Grand Prix

Published

2 days ago

November 8, 2026

Emilio Sanchez Hidalgo

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The FIA has confirmed a 30-place grid penalty for Red Bull star Max Verstappen ahead of Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix.

At this stage of the season, several drivers and teams are going beyond their allowance when it comes to power unit components, with Verstappen and several others doing so in Sao Paulo this weekend.

In Verstappen’s case, the FIA has confirmed that he has taken a fifth new internal combustion engine (ICE), a fifth new turbocharger (TC) and a fifth new exhaust set (EXH).

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As a result of this, the FIA have confirmed that the four-time world champion has been hit with a 30-place grid drop, with each component carrying a 10-place punishment.

With that in mind, Verstappen did not even risk going out for much qualifying action in the wet on Saturday, advancing through Q1 but qualifying P16 after failing to set a lap time in Q2.

With other penalties on the grid, the FIA has confirmed that Verstappen will line up P21 for lights out in Sao Paulo, one place above Sergio Perez and one place behind Lewis Hamilton, who are also serving penalties.

F1 HEADLINES: Lewis Hamilton ‘sent a message to Italy’ as major Ferrari risk exposed

Why is Hamilton starting ahead of Verstappen at Brazil GP?

Like Verstappen, Perez’s has a 30-place grid drop after taking a new ICE, TC and MGU-K, but Hamilton starts ahead of both of them despite taking a completely new power unit and a 75-place grid drop.

This is because Article B2.5.4(b)(iv) of the 2026 FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations states that “classified drivers who have accrued more than 15 cumulative grid position penalties will start behind any other classified driver. Their relative position will be determined in accordance with their qualifying session.”

This means that once a driver’s penalties exceed 15 places, they are automatically moved to the back of the grid, and if multiple drivers are in that situation, their starting order is then determined by how they qualify, not by how big their penalty is.

That is why on Sunday, Hamilton, who qualified P11, will start ahead of Verstappen and Perez, who qualified P16 and P21, despite his penalty being 45 places more severe.

Other F1 stars dealt penalties in Brazil

The penalties do not stop there. Charles Leclerc will line up P14 after taking a 10-place grid penalty for fitting a new ICE, while a change of the same component sees George Russell line up seventh, having qualified in P2.

Russell’s penalty is less than that of others taking a new ICE in Sao Paulo as he already exceeded the limit of four ICEs for the season at the Singapore Grand Prix, where he was hit with the same 10-place grid drop others are facing this weekend.

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FIA confirm more George Russell misery as Mercedes star hit with penalty at Brazilian GP

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2026

James Barragan

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Mercedes F1 star George Russell has been hit with another grid penalty at the Brazilian Grand Prix, the FIA has confirmed.

With just four scheduled grands prix to go, it is the time of the campaign when we see drivers regularly exceeding the number of power unit components that they are allowed, with Russell set to be the latest to do so this weekend.

That will result in a mandatory penalty from the FIA, just as was the case at the Singapore Grand Prix, when Russell was hit with a 60-place grid drop after changing multiple components.

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This time around, it won’t be that severe, but it is also not ideal for the man looking to end his season in the strongest possible way after being beaten to the world championship by his less experienced teammate Kimi Antonelli.

F1 HEADLINES: Lewis Hamilton ‘conspiracy’ claim and star absent ahead of Brazilian Grand Prix

George Russell set for five-place grid penalty at Brazilian GP

After fitting his sixth internal combustion (ICE) engine of the year, the FIA has confirmed that Russell has been hit with a five-place grid drop for breaching Articles B8.2.2a (read with B8.2.3) of the FIA F1 Regulations.

Russell, though, confirmed this was a planned move from the team this weekend, and is looking towards former team-mate Lewis Hamilton for inspiration that it won’t ruin his Brazilian Grand Prix.

“I mean, we always had to take a grid penalty at some point between Singapore – obviously we took one in Singapore – but from Singapore until the end of the season,” Russell confirmed in Sao Paulo. “We felt like this was a good place to take it.”

“Obviously Lewis had a big grid penalty here a number of years ago and did pretty well,” Russell added. “Five places doesn’t seem that bad, and we’ll try to come back through.”

Russell can also draw inspiration from big comebacks for Max Verstappen at Interlagos in recent years.

Last season, the four-time world champion secured P3 and a podium spot having started in the pit lane, while in 2024 he won the race having lined up down in P17.

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Sky Sports F1 announce new team member ahead of Brazilian Grand Prix

Published

5 days ago

November 5, 2026

Sam Kelly

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Sky Sports have unveiled the newest member of their F1 coverage team, who will be joining them as soon as this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix.

Alexa Rendell has officially joined the team as a new ‘F1 Multimedia Journalist’, and will appear across Sky’s live TV and social media coverage at Interlagos this weekend as the 2026 season reaches its final stages.

Rendell has plenty of experience in the motorsport media world, having worked with Formula E, F1 Academy, WEC and the Alpine team prior to her new move to Sky.

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Sky’s newest voice will join the crew for the last leg of the current triple-header, after Kimi Antonelli wrapped up the drivers’ title last time out in Mexico City.

F1 HEADLINES: Leclerc fires back at Hamilton as Ricciardo approached for 2027 drive

New Sky Sports hire ‘thrilled’ to join F1 broadcaster

Rendell said of her hiring: “I’m really thrilled to be joining the Sky Sports F1 family. Formula 1 has always been my first love, and Sky has been part of my journey in the sport since I was a teenager, when I got my first taste of the industry through its access events. To now be joining the team feels like a really special full-circle moment.

“I can’t wait to get stuck in from Brazil and tell the stories that make this sport so incredible. With a new generation of fans coming into the sport, I’m really looking forward to helping connect with those audiences and sharing F1 in fresh and engaging ways.”

Billy McGinty, Sky Sports’ Director of F1, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Alexa to the team. She is a rising star in motorsport broadcasting and has an instinct for connecting with audiences.

“Formula 1 is evolving, with more people than ever discovering and connecting with the sport, and it’s important that our coverage evolves too – finding new ways to tell the stories and bring fans closer to the personalities and moments that make F1 so compelling.”