Liam Lawson finds himself in a unique spot for the 2026 Formula 1 season, as the only driver on the grid paired with a rookie.
Arvid Lindblad, who’s just 18, has stepped into the seat left by Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls.
Lindblad might look to Lawson for advice, but it’s worth noting that Lawson isn’t exactly a seasoned veteran either. He’s only started 35 races and is heading into his first full year with Racing Bulls.
Lawson arguably has more at stake in this pairing. If Lindblad comes up short, he can chalk it up to a lack of experience, and Red Bull may be more forgiving than they were under Helmut Marko.
If Lawson loses out to a rookie two years in a row, it would raise serious questions about his place in Formula 1. It could be difficult for him to come back from that.
Lindblad sets his sights on Racing Bulls teammate Liam Lawson
Back in December, Arvid Lindblad downplayed any talk of trying to beat teammate Liam Lawson, calling it ‘pointless’ given where he is in his career.
“I don’t really think about my teammate,” Lindblad said at the time. “That’s the one guy you’re compared against, but I’m in a different position to a lot of the guys who have come through.
“There are so many unknowns next year that it’s pointless me talking about, ‘I want to be better than this guy or that guy.’”
Speaking recently with The Telegraph, he said: “Obviously in F1, it’s well known that you’re compared to your team-mate. So of course, I want to beat Liam. But he’s more experienced, he’s got more knowledge.
“So I’m not going to come in saying, ‘I want to do it in this race.’ We’ll see what happens. I’m going to take my time.”
Lawson is coming into 2026 off a strong debut season with Racing Bulls and impressed during pre-season testing in Barcelona. He had exclusive use of the VCARB03 on the opening day and returned for additional laps on Thursday afternoon.
Liam Lawson’s head-to-head record with F1 teammates so far
Lawson was outqualified 10-1 by Yuki Tsunoda during their two spells as teammates, but he did edge their race-day battle 6-5. Hadjar was a comfortable winner in both departments – 16-6 on a Saturday and 11-6 in the races that both drivers finished.
That means that, overall, Lawson trails his teammates 26-7 in qualifying and 16-12 in the races. Racing Bulls want Lawson to cut out his inconsistency and make himself undroppable this year. They feel there are too many ‘inexplicable’ results, and clearly, one-lap pace is the main area of concern.
Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso has implicitly warned Lindblad by suggesting the 2026 F1 cars could be tricky for a rookie. The drivers will expend much more mental energy on managing their battery this year.
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