The 2026 Formula One season may only be five races old, but one driver is already “under pressure” to save his job heading into this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.

The current campaign couldn’t have gone any better for Mercedes, who have won every race to date this season. Many other teams, however, are struggling for pace amid the raft of technical changes that have been introduced for 2026.

As a result of the ever-changing nature of the sport, teams are consistently evaluating their approaches, including who is driving their cars.

F1 Driver Faces Uncertain Future Despite Promising Start to 2026 Season

Even those who have shown signs of improvement seemingly aren’t exempt from the chopping block as a new report suggests that an F1 team could be preparing to cut ties with a driver who has scored points in three of this year’s five races.

New Zealand’s Liam Lawson is no stranger to having to battle for his spot on the F1 grid, having been demoted from Red Bull to sister team Racing Bulls after just two races of the 2025 campaign.

The 24-year-old was then forced to fend off competition from Yuki Tsunoda to retain his seat in 2026. To his credit, Lawson has made a creditable start to the new campaign, racking up a total of 16 points.

To put that number into perspective, only Max Verstappen (43) has more points this season within the Red Bull family. Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, Isack Hadjar, sits on 14 points, with Lawson’s Racing Bulls colleague Arvid Lindblad having picked up just five points.

What Under Pressure F1 Driver Must Do To Save His Job

However, despite being impressed by the Kiwi’s start to the campaign, Racing Bulls could ruthlessly axe him if his results drop off. They already have his replacement in mind.

The Red Bull second string are increasingly keen to hand an opportunity to teenage F2 prospect Nikola Tsolov and a recent report from SoyMotor suggests that Lawson could be the man to make way for the talented Bulgarian.

The report notes that Tsolov is “knocking on the door” for a seat at Racing Bulls next season and believes that Lawson will find himself out of a job if he doesn’t continue to outperform his current teammate Lindblad.

Racing Bulls only handed Lawson a one-year deal in December, meaning that it won’t cost them anything to move on from him at the end of the season. Sources suggest that he will need to maintain a “clear advantage” over Lindblad in the Drivers’ Championship standings in order to earn a fresh contract and retain his seat.

That means that every race counts for Lawson, starting in Monaco this weekend.

Liverpool icon Emile Heskey has urged Liverpool to bring in one of the world’s best wingers for Andoni Iraola this summer to get them back where they belong.

The Reds endured a difficult 2025/26 season as they finished fifth in the Premier League and trophyless, which saw the board opt to sack manager Arne Slot just 12 months after he won the title, with Spaniard Iraola on his way in on a two-year contract.

The club are expected to have a busy summer transfer window once again this year, with Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, and Ibrahima Konate all departing on free transfers, while others could be sold. That means some incomings are expected, with a forward understood to be a priority target.

Heskey: Liverpool Should Sign Kvaratskhelia

Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move to sign RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande this summer, with the Bundesliga side putting a huge asking price on his head amid the heavy interest in his signature.

France international Bradley Barcola has also been linked, having found himself down the pecking order under Luis Enrique. However, while speaking at a Panini event, former Reds striker Emile Heskey admitted that he feels the club should be making a move for his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia instead, who Clarence Seedorf recently described as ‘the best player in the world’.

“Liverpool needs wingers and people that will chip in with pace, goals and assists,” he said. “Both Diomande and Barcola would be incredible signings.

“But for me, Kvaratskhelia would be an unbelievable signing for the club, he has everything. He’d be a tough one to try and pry away from PSG, but I’ve no doubt that he would be such a strong acquisition and provide so much quality.”

“I remember a few years ago watching him for Napoli play against Leicester and thinking ‘Wow, this kid has got the lot [Kvaratskhelia]’. He’s just a brilliant player but also has incredible work rate, he would suit Liverpool down to the ground.”

Heskey: Panini Stickers a Proud Career Moment

Emile Heskey was speaking at the launch of the Official Panini World Cup Sticker Collection Pop-up shop at Selfridges Oxford Street.

Speaking about the sticker book and the history behind it, the former Leicester and England icon admitted that it was a proud moment when he was included in one for the first time.

“Being part of a Panini sticker collection was always a proud moment in my career,” Heskey said.

“As a player, you know you’ve made it when kids around the world are hunting for your sticker, swapping you in the playground and trying to complete their albums. I remember that excitement myself, so to be here opening this pop-up and seeing that same buzz ahead of another FIFA World Cup is really special.”

Produced for every FIFA World Cup™ since 1970, Panini’s sticker collections have become a cultural countdown to kick-off for fans of all ages.

Tottenham are preparing for a busy summer transfer window, one that promises to be exciting and transformative after a disappointing campaign.

Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival helped Spurs avoid relegation on the final day of the Premier League season, after falling to new lows in the division.

While survival was a monumental moment for the manager, he emphasised that a campaign like that last one simply cannot happen again for Tottenham, with the solution being some transfer activity.

Signings are a priority, with Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson set to join the club on free transfers. Then there’s the bid made for Jan Paul van Hecke, which could see the Brighton defender move to North London.

Arrivals are key, but so too are exits, with a growing list of names set to leave Tottenham in the coming weeks.

Juventus Want Guglielmo Vicario

The latest reports from Gazzetta dello Sport claim that Juventus have joined the race to sign Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario in the summer transfer window.

The Serie A side were linked with the Italian shot-stopper previously, but with Inter Milan seemingly taking the lead, attention turned to Liverpool ace Alisson Becker.

That move has seemingly fallen through, leading to revived interest in Vicario, who could leave three years after moving to Tottenham from Empoli.

The 29-year-old was drafted in as the long-term replacement for Hugo Lloris, and started admirably with some top performances, not only in making saves but by playing out well, which was a requirement for then-manager Ange Postecoglou.

As time has gone on, however, Vicario has struggled alongside his teammates, conceding 50 goals in the Premier League this season and keeping just seven clean sheets.

There have been question marks over his future as a result, which have only been emphasised with the performances of Antonin Kinsky since he was put into the side.

De Zerbi has described Vicario as a “top player”, however, and insisted that he was the number-one, despite selecting Kinsky ahead of him at the end of the campaign following his injury troubles.

It remains to be seen whether the manager will stand by that and insist that the goalkeeper stays, or whether Tottenham complete a deal and look to rebuild their goalkeeping ranks again.

Tottenham Must Rebuild Leadership Ranks

If Tottenham do decide to sell Vicario, then they will be losing a player who has been part of the squad’s leadership circle for the past few seasons.

He isn’t set to be the only one, as Cristian Romero’s potential exit is compounding the impact of a team losing those key voices in the dressing room.

It means that the recruitment team needs to not only look at the profile of players they are bringing in, but what they will offer in the squad dynamics.

Robertson’s impending arrival appears to be just as much about his experience and leadership as it is his quality and depth at left-back.

With so many young players in key areas of the squad, it’s clear that there needs to be some guiding hands within the team who can help progress them into leaders of the future.

It remains to be seen whether Tottenham will look for more leadership candidates to bring in during the summer window, but it’s clearly an area that needs addressing as much as the need for on-ball quality.