Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls seat is safe for 2027, with the team confirming the New Zealander and British rookie Arvid Lindblad as an unchanged driver line-up for next season.
Racing Bulls confirmed on Thursday that both drivers have extended their contracts, ending months of speculation that Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov could replace Lawson.
Tsolov, the Bulgarian Formula 2 front-runner who has made his FP1 debut for Racing Bulls, will instead be the reserve driver for both Red Bull teams in 2027, BBC Sport reported.
Lawson rebuilds after Red Bull demotion
The 24-year-old was promoted to Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen for the 2025 season but was dropped back after just two races. He returned to the senior team for the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix this year while Isack Hadjar recovered from a broken wrist, BBC Sport reported.
Lawson started third and finished seventh at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, his fourth seventh-place finish in five races, taking him to 89 points for the season, Formula1.com reported. Lindblad has scored 38 points and has been out-qualified by Lawson 13 times to nine.
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Racing Bulls are fifth in the constructors’ championship. Holding that spot would be the team’s best-ever result, in a history dating back to its origins as Minardi, Formula1.com reported.
“We’ve had a brilliant season together and the team has worked very hard to produce a fast car, which I’ve loved driving,” Lawson said.
“I’m looking forward to carrying this moment forward with Arvid through to 2027; we’re building something super positive and I’m excited by what we can achieve together.”
Permane backs line-up
Team principal Alan Permane said: “I have no doubt that this is the best driver line-up for us, bringing a strong combination of experience and ambition.”
Lindblad, 19, said his rookie season had been “a truly special year, full of new experiences and learnings since the very first pre-season test”.
The announcement leaves two question marks on the 2027 grid, Formula1.com reported: Haas has yet to confirm a new deal for Ollie Bearman, and Sergio Perez’s seat at Cadillac remains uncertain.
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