Lawson says 2027 uncertainty is no longer on his mind
Liam Lawson heads into the Mexico City Grand Prix with three consecutive top-ten finishes behind him. The latest came in Austin, where he started and finished ninth for Racing Bulls. The team remain fifth in the constructors' championship, and Lawson's future for 2027 is still unconfirmed.
Speaking on Thursday ahead of the race, the New Zealander was asked whether his form had given him extra confidence about the seat. His answer was about the car and the season. "It's been a good season, honestly, in general," Lawson said. "We've been very, very strong. We've made a lot of progress from the start of the year as well."
He said he felt "very, very good in the car at the moment" and was in a good headspace.
Mexico City brings a different kind of test. The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez sits more that 2,200 meters above sea level, and the thin air forces teams into a setup they rarely use. "It's going to feel very tricky here, the altitude, and the fact that we don't really run low downforce through the year," Lawson said. "And then we come here and, obviously, with the altitude, we're forced to be very, very low."
He expects an unfamiliar car. "It's going to be very, very tough," he said. "So, it's going to feel probably very strange for us driving it." A newly resurfaced track adds more unknowns. "So, yeah, a lot of question marks this weekend."
The contract situation was the other subject.
Lawson was asked whether it had been on his mind in the days after Austin, and he compared this with autumn with last year. 12 months ago, he was in a battle with Yuki Tsunoda for a seat at the team, and he admits that pressure showed in his driving.
"If I look back a year ago, I probably was thinking about it a lot," Lawson said. "And it was probably having an impact as well on the way I was driving. I probably wasn't driving as well."
This season he has taken a different approach. "Whereas this year, I feel like overall it's a lot better," he said. "And I actually don't really think about it much at all. So, I feel like with how the season's gone, especially the last few races, it's not really worth me worrying about."
His focus is on repeating what has worked. "So, I'm just trying to keep the consistency going," Lawson said. "It's very tough in Formula One. There's obviously plenty of variables. But, yeah, it's been strong."
He also has the standings to concentrate on. "And obviously, we're in this sort of fight for P5," he said. "So, trying to stay focused on that is also helping."
The Mexico City Grand Prix takes place on 1st November. With the altitude, the new surface and a car that will feel different to him, Lawson has his first test of keeping the run going.
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