Kiwi Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson will have to wait even longer to find out if he has a place on the grid next season, with Red Bull announcing it has postponed its final decision on driver lineups.
Red Bull senior adviser Helmut Marko had previously said the team would confirm its 2026 plans by the end of October, following the Mexican Grand Prix.
But that timeline has now been pushed back, with Max Verstappen’s unexpected resurgence in the title fight prompting a change of focus.
"We discussed it internally and have come to the conclusion that we are fully focused on the title fight," Marko told Austrian broadcaster Servus TV.
"It’s a surprise that it’s become so exciting. We’ve postponed the driver selection until after [Qatar] or Abu Dhabi."
The decision will mean Lawson may not know his future until December. Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda, Isack Hadjar and rookie Arvid Lindblad are fighting for three seats in the Red Bull stable.
It adds to what’s been a frustrating run for the 23-year-old Kiwi, whose Mexican Grand Prix ended in disappointment after he was forced to retire less than 10 laps in.
Lawson tangled with Williams' Carlos Sainz on the opening lap, causing damage to the front of his VCARB 02 and ending his third race in a row without a points scoring finish.
“I could’ve killed them,” the Kiwi driver said, after two race marshals ran in front of his car during the race. (Source: Other)
A close call
The Kiwi driver's short-lived race almost turned dangerous after he came uncomfortably close to two race marshals, who were on the track clearing up debris.
After exiting the pits on a set of fresh tires, Lawson's onboard camera showed two marshals running across track in front of his car, seemingly unaware Lawson was so far behind the rest of the pack.
"What the ****? Oh my god!" A shocked Lawson could be heard saying over the radio to his race engineer.
"Did you see that? I could've killed **** him mate."
Formula 1's governing body says it has launched an investigation to determine what caused the incident.
"Following a Turn 1 incident, Race Control was informed that debris was present on the track at the apex of that corner. On lap 3, marshals were alerted and placed on standby to enter the track and recover the debris once all cars had passed Turn 1," the FIA said.
"As soon as it became apparent that Lawson had pitted, the instructions to dispatch marshals were rescinded, and a double yellow flag was shown in that area. We are still investigating what occurred after that point."
Formula 1's next race will take place in São Paulo, Brazil on Monday, November 10 (6am NZT).
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