Lawson scores points again as he awaits 2027 seat decision

Nov 9 : Liam Lawson confirmed his status as the best of the midfield drivers with seventh place at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday but still can do nothing but hope for the best when it comes to a spot on the grid for next season.  

The Racing Bulls driver swept past eventual race winner Lando Norris to take second place early on in a wet-dry race at Interlagos before being overhauled by quicker cars and settling for six points. 

It was the 15th time the New Zealander had scored points in 20 Grands Prix this season - a more consistent return than all but Lewis Hamilton, world champion Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, George Russell and Lando Norris. 

"I mean, crazy race," Lawson told reporters. "Honestly, I had a really good start. Good grip in Turn 1. Obviously made up a place, and then to be honest, I was thinking I might try and attack Kimi at some point in the lap.

"But yeah, just once the pace stabilises, they're a lot quicker than us, and we started to pull back. We were damaging our tyre, I think, quite a lot more than them. And then I think the pace on the dry was okay." 

"They" are the big four teams - Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren - whose eight drivers between them have locked up all the podium spots this season. 

Lawson had two races among them, stepping up to replace injured Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar at the Italian and Spanish Grands Prix and finishing 14th and sixth. 

It was a reminder of his two-race spell as Verstappen's teammate at the start of last season before he was summarily despatched back to Racing Bulls and replaced by Yuki Tsunoda.

Memories of that relegation have proved hard to shift despite Lawson's consistency since, and the 24-year-old has not yet been confirmed as a