Here’s what we learned in Austria:

An inconvenient truth

So long as Lawson sits in a Racing Bulls seat, there is going to be questions about the Kiwi’s future.

Unless Red Bull relinquishes control of the team, Racing Bulls will always be a junior side, strictly for producing talent to move up.

Regardless of his form this year, Lawson – it appears – will not be making the step back into Red Bull, as foolish as that decision might be, based on this year’s form.

We’ve seen similar stances taken by Red Bull towards Pierre Gasly – who spent another four years at then-AlphaTauri, now Racing Bulls, before he left for Alpine – after his time in the top team was ended after just 12 races.

With the exception of Gasly’s maiden victory at Monza, Lawson is putting together a more solid body of work in Red Bull’s junior ranks than his French counterpart, leading the team to sixth in the constructors championship last year, and odds-on to do the same again.

But for now, both parties are getting exactly what they need from each other.

Lawson is able to use Racing Bulls to gain experience in motorsport’s pinnacle, if not shop himself to other teams looking to fill seats. Racing Bulls, meanwhile, get a solid point-scorer, and mentor to other talent coming through.

For now, there’s no reason for either side to want change, but that day is coming.

If not here, then where?

In terms of where Lawson’s next opportunity might lie, then, there is one clear standout.

If reports are to be believed, Carlos Sainz has begun to get itchy feet at Williams, and could exit as early as next year. While the contract he signed to leave Ferrari was for 2025 and 2026, it is also understood there is an option for up to two additional seasons, although it’s unclear if that option belongs to the team or the driver.

Audi or Red Bull have both been mooted as destinations for Sainz, if he does call time at Williams.

While Williams did have a fantastic season last year, finishing fifth in the constructors after years of fighting at the back of the field, 2026 has seen a cruel reality check. The team’s new car design has ultimately proven to be too heavy, and now sees them return towards the back of the grid, with no apparent fixes until next year at the earliest.

Taking that out of the equation, though, Williams would be the perfect destination for Lawson.

Only the current top four teams have more race victories in the sport’s history than Williams’ 114, while team principal James Vowles is among the most well respected figures on the grid.

Lawson and Alex Albon have a good relationship after they were teammates in the 2021 German DTM championship, where the Kiwi finished second after being cruelly denied the title.

Most tellingly, Vowles is understood to have approached Red Bull to take Lawson on a short-term deal in 2024, when Williams parted ways with Logan Sargeant. The Herald understands that offer was only rebuffed because Red Bull had planned to use him later in the season.

It won’t be an easy switch to leave a well-performing Racing Bulls for a team that have gone backwards this year. But short-term pain for potential long-term gain might not be a bad thing in this instance.

Tsolov backtracks

While they’ve been proven to be unfounded, Spanish outlet SoyMotor’s claims that Lawson would be replaced by Red Bull-backed Bulgarian teenager Nikola Tsolov did hit hard.

For a driver where so much has gone against him over the past few years, to have a story like that drop when everything has been on the up and up was just plain unfair.

Racing Bulls confirmed to the Herald there are no plans for their 2027 pairings, yet, a message emphatically backed up by team boss Alan Permane.

And yet, those reports didn’t come from nowhere. SoyMotor felt confident enough in their story to publish it, even if they’re suffering blowback from it now.

Interestingly, the reports were also vehemently denied by the Tsolov camp during the Austria weekend, before he went on to claim another Formula Two race win.

From the outside, it appears the story was falsely fed in order to get Tsolov’s name out there, for either Red Bull or a rival team to look at in 2027, especially if he wins Formula Two and therefore can’t race in it again next year.

But, it will be interesting to see if any teams see a media saga like this one as reasons not to go near the 19-year-old when they have a seat free.

Team orders?

It was disappointing to see Racing Bulls clearly play favourites with their drivers in Austria.

As the first pit stops approached, Arvid Lindblad was called in before Lawson, despite being the trailing car. Naturally, then, getting an extra lap to get his tyres up to temperature before Lawson gave Lindblad the advantage over his teammate for the second stint of the race.

Thankfully, Lawson was given the same leg-up for the second stops, and was able to undercut Lindblad to retake the position he’d lost, as both drivers finished where they’d started.

While there’s yet to be any confirmation team orders to favour Lindblad were in place from the team, it’s been suspected there would be something from the team to make sure he can be its best performing driver.

There’s no evidence that’s what happened, and is probably even the opposite after Lawson got the favour returned later in the race.

But here’s hoping that’s the way it stays.

What about Max?

Max Verstappen couldn’t time his best result of the season any better. The four-time world champion was in the mix for the race win at one point, before Mercedes’ strategy on a scalding track told.

In the context of the season, Verstappen’s result might not mean much as Mercedes march towards the drivers and constructors titles.

But for Red Bull, it could be huge. It is widely understood that Verstappen’s contract has an exit clause if he sits outside the top two by the summer break. Despite Austria, he will not be in the top two.

Instead, Verstappen and his management have outlined he wants to drive in a competitive car.

So much so, Red Bull’s top brass all made sure to attend this weekend, at the team’s home race. While no explanation has been given, it is widely suspected this was part of a last-ditch attempt to get him to stay.

If that doesn’t work, the Formula One grid will be in a mad scramble to secure that Red Bull seat. Watch this space.

Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.