Liam Lawson will stay at Racing Bulls next season after the team announced an unchanged Formula 1 line-up for 2027.
The New Zealander’s future had been uncertain for many weeks, with the Red Bull-owned team weighing whether to keep him alongside Arvid Lindblad or promote their junior driver Nikola Tsolov.
However, as reported earlier this week, Lawson’s recent strong performances in Mexico and Brazil have reportedly put him on course for a new deal and convinced Racing Bulls that he is the best candidate.
With Lawson currently ninth in the drivers’ standings, as the best of the rest behind the top four teams, and his key contribution in helping Racing Bulls to fifth in the constructors’ championship, it would have been absurd to drop him.
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane believed the line-up of Lawson and Lindblad was perfect in terms of blending youth and experience.
“Both demonstrated their abilities and potential throughout the season, and we saw the progress they made, both individually and as a duo,” Permane explained.
“I have no doubt that this is the best crew for us, bringing a strong combination of experience and ambition. Together we have a solid foundation to build on the progress made this year, continue to challenge ourselves and take the next step towards realizing our ambitions in 2027.”
Lawson has earned praise in the paddock this year for his standout performances for both Racing Bulls and in a replacement race at Red Bull, when he replaced the injured Isack Hadjar.
He thanked Racing Bulls for their confidence in him.
“We had a brilliant season together and the team worked very hard to produce a fast car, which I loved driving,” he said.
“It’s great to be part of a historic season for the team as we continue our fight for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
“This is a testament to everyone’s hard work, both on the track and in the factory. I look forward to continuing this momentum with Arvid through 2027; we are building something very positive and I am excited about what we can achieve together.”
Racing Bulls’ statement announcing Lawson and Lindblad would stay for 2027 made no reference to the plans for Tsolov, who is in pursuit of the F2 crown this year.
The Bulgarian completed a first FP1 for Racing Bulls in Mexico and will likely play a bigger role at Red Bull in 2027. He has also been linked with a move to Super Formula in Japan.
F1 2027 grid so far
Mercedes: Kimi Antonelli/George Russell
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc/Lewis Hamilton
McLaren: Lando Norris/Oscar Piastri
Red Bull: Max Verstappen/Isack Hadjar
Racing bulls: Liam Lawson/Arvid Lindblad
Alpine: Pierre Gasly/Franco Colapinto
Haas: Rafael Camara/to be confirmed
Audi: Nico Hülkenberg/Gabriel Bortoleto
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso/Lance Promenade
Williams: Alex Albon/Carlos Sainz
Cadillac: Sergio Pérez/to be confirmed
Gn sports
