Kiwi Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson is eager to return to one of his favourite circuits on the calendar as he gears up for this weekend's United States Grand Prix in Austin.
The 24-year-old will look to secure another points-scoring finish around the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, despite his Formula 1 future beyond this season remaining uncertain.
"I think we've had a good season and a good run of races as well, which has been nice," Lawson said ahead of the race.
"I'm excited. It's always a good atmosphere here. The track is also really, really good. It's one of my favourites.
"It's probably my favourite actually on the calendar to drive. So yeah, a lot of positives about this weekend. Hopefully, we have a fast car."
Lawson will head into the race weekend with much speculation about his future in the sport, having yet to secure one of the few remaining spots on the grid for the 2027 season.
The 24-year-old had enjoyed a consistent run of points-scoring results with Racing Bulls and currently sat ninth in the World Driver's Championship standings on 75 points — comfortably ahead of Alpine's Pierre Gasly on 41.
His strongest Grand Prix result came in Monaco, where he finished fifth, while he also claimed seventh-place finishes in Bahrain and Singapore earlier this month.
Despite the stand-out season, questions remained over whether the Kiwi would retain his seat next year. Formula 2 star Nikola Tsolov had been linked to a seat at Racing Bulls, and Lawson's teammate Lindblad was widely expected to keep his seat.
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane previously said the team was in "no rush" to make a decision, saying it had "two fantastic drivers and a fantastic driver in F2 at the moment".
Austin was a familiar venue for Lawson, who made an impressive return to Formula 1 at the circuit in 2024, replacing Daniel Ricciardo in a mid-season driver switch.
Starting 19th on the grid after taking a power unit penalty, Lawson fought his way through the pack to finish ninth, securing two points to make a splash in his first race back with the then-RB team.
Lawson to play concert ahead of race
Lawson is also preparing to showcase another of his talents, with the Kiwi performing at a concert in Austin as part of the build-up to the Grand Prix.
Billed as Garage Sessions with Liam Lawson and Friends, Lawson will perform with his brother and childhood friends. Country musicians Drake Milligan, Alison Nichols, Jonathon Capeci, Scoot Teasley and Jess Farren are also on the bill.
Speaking to RacingNews365, Lawson admitted he was "feeling a lot of things" ahead o fhis first time playing in front of a crowd in 11 years.
""It's a cool opportunity to do this with my brother and a couple of friends that I've grown up playing with," he said.
"To be honest, we haven't done this for like 10 years.
"We never really performed, but we grew up playing together when we were very young, so it's a cool opportunity."
Lawson had previously spoken on his passion for music, having learned to play guitar with his brother, encouraged by their father, who played in a band.
The United States Grand Prix will take place on Monday morning (9am NZT).
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