Ten points, without a contract confirmation
Liam Lawson left Singapore with ten points and an important sporting argument in the discussion about his future. The New Zealander finished fifth in the Sprint and seventh in the Grand Prix, according to the final FIA classifications. His reaction, published on Monday by Formula1.com, combines satisfaction with Racing Bulls’ results and uncertainty over 2027. The weekend strengthened his case; at the time of verification, the consulted sources do not confirm that the team has already awarded him a contract for next season.
The Sprint rewarded a race without costly mistakes
Lawson negotiated the Sprint’s changing conditions and avoided the McLarens’ collision on the final lap. He finished fifth, scoring four points. On Sunday he added another six after 62 laps. The table separates the two sessions: Sprint points are not the score for his Grand Prix finishing position.
| Session | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Sprint | 5 | 4 |
| Grand Prix | 7 | 6 |
| Weekend total | — | 10 |
P7 and the best finish outside the leading four teams
Alan Permane explains in the official reactions that Lawson passed Pierre Gasly at Turn 1 and then built a gap. Racing Bulls reacted to Gasly and Nico Hülkenberg stopping by switching to Medium tyres for the rest of the race. Tyre management and track position helped him keep Hülkenberg’s Audi and Russell’s Mercedes behind. The FIA confirms P7, 1.720 seconds ahead of Hülkenberg. One passage in the Formula1.com article says P8; here we use the final classification and team report, which agree on P7.
Three candidates for two seats
Permane said the 2027 decision would come in the following weeks, without giving an exact date. Formula 1 identifies Lawson, Arvid Lindblad and Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov as the main candidates. The Racing Bulls boss says selection involves both speed and the development of young drivers and their future potential. He has not announced who will miss out, and the consulted statements contain no promise that a particular points total guarantees Lawson a seat.
What Lawson can control before Austin
The driver says he is concentrating on scoring each weekend rather than predicting the team’s decision. He also outlined simulator preparation ahead of Austin. APEX sees the value of Singapore in delivering across two formats and executing a race where track position mattered greatly. That is a performance assessment, not inside information about contract negotiations. Confirmation for 2027 will exist only when the team or driver announces it officially.
