Liam Lawson Open to NASCAR Opportunity Amid Red Bull F1 Uncertainty

Red Bull Formula One driver Liam Lawson has revealed an inclination to race in NASCAR after testing a Next Gen car on Ford Performance's simulator at its performance technical center in Concord, North Carolina. This comes amid Lawson's performance struggles at Red Bull, which saw him qualify last in the most recent Chinese Grand Prix. He also failed to score points in both 2025 races so far.

Red Bull is partnering with Ford to develop a new F1 power unit for the 2026 season when the sport enters a new era of regulations, where cars will be powered by a 50-50 ratio of electric power and internal combustion running on sustainable fuel. Under the Red Bull Powertrains banner, the team is all set to become an official power unit supplier in 2026.

Thus, Ford had Lawson at its facility with his friend and NASCAR Cup Series driver Noah Gragson, showing him around and accompanying him to the simulator. This was Lawson's first time with a stock car racing setup. However, he impressed Gragson with his run, exceeding expectations by setting a lap time of under 2:15 at the virtual Circuit of the Americas and making the NASCAR driver lose a bet.

Lawson also concluded an excellent virtual run of the Bristol Motor Speedway, leading Gragson to praise him. This also prompted others around to ask when Lawson was making his NASCAR debut. The Kiwi driver responded positively, stating:

"Dude, I would love to do a race. Yeah, 100 per cent."

Considering Lawson's interest in NASCAR and his stellar virtual performance, a future move to the stock car series can't be ruled out, especially with his Red Bull seat reportedly under threat.

Following his P12 finish at the Chinese GP, Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko confirmed that the team will be holding an urgent meeting this week to improve the situation. Newsweek Sports reported:

"This week there is a meeting in Milton Keynes to discuss when and how we can close the gap.

"Until then, it's about scoring as many points as possible.

"We are worried, but it is not like we are throwing in the towel."

Speaking after the Chinese GP, Lawson admitted he was struggling to adapt to Red Bull's RB21 F1 car:

"It's safe to say that we're not happy. None of us are happy. I don't know what more you want me to say to that, really."

He added:

"I think Max is able to get in and have the car on the limit, knows where the limit is everywhere, and be comfortable with it, and it's just something I'm figuring out.

"It's obviously extremely tough. It's not something I'm enjoying, but I'm honestly working as hard as I can to get on top of it."

Lawson showcased stellar performance in 2023 and 2024 with the Red Bull junior F1 team Racing Bulls (VCARB) but his ongoing struggles with the RB21 suggest he may need more time to fully adapt and deliver consistent results.