Jolyon Palmer has doubts over Liam Lawson’s readiness to lead Racing Bulls in 2026
· Yahoo Sports
Jolyon Palmer has raised concerns about whether Liam Lawson is ready to take on a leadership role at Racing Bulls ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
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Following a big influx of rookie drivers in 2025, Arvid Lindblad enters as the only new face on the grid this year, changing the dynamic for young drivers across the sport.
While there are benefits for Lindblad, it also means that Liam Lawson finds himself as the least experienced senior driver on the grid this season.
Lawson has 35 Grand Prix starts under his belt so far. Even so, Racing Bulls will need him to play a big part in car development during testing and then turn those efforts into points once racing gets underway.
The team opted for Lawson over Yuki Tsunoda, who had more experience. But with major regulation changes coming up in 2026, Palmer has questioned if he’s up to leading during such a critical period.
The decision has drawn comparisons to Alpine’s move back in 2024 when they ran with two rookies before eventually changing course after a difficult season.
Palmer questions whether Liam Lawson has enough experience to lead Racing Bulls in 2026
Palmer was speaking on Sky Sports F1 commentary, reflecting on the year Haas brought in Kevin Magnussen after struggling with rookies Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin in 2021.
“It was a tough year with the rookies, with Mick Schumacher, Formula 2 champ, and Nikita Mazepin as well, struggling so badly in his one and only year,” he said. “Mick did all right in 2022, held his own, but I do think having an established driver in the team is such a must-have, especially for a new set of regulations.
“It will be interesting to see with Racing Bulls this year, with Arvid Lindblad, obviously massively inexperienced.
“Liam Lawson’s going to have to lead the team now; he hasn’t got a huge amount of experience himself either.”
Liam Lawson Faces Uphill Task for Racing Bulls
As Racing Bulls enters the 2026 season with Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, it’s one of the least experienced lineups the team has fielded since back in 2018.
Back then, it was Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley who didn’t have much experience. But Gasly managed to build a strong career from there, while Hartley only made 25 starts before moving on.
This time around, there are no major expectations on Lawson to take a big step up at this point in his career. His role will be more about helping Racing Bulls grow and develop as they move through another period of change.
While it’s unlikely that Lawson will suddenly become a title contender, he’ll have the opportunity to shape his path and contribute to Racing Bulls’ progress during this next phase.
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