- Racing Bulls Retain Lawson and Lindblad for 2027 F1 Season
Racing Bulls have confirmed Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad as their drivers for the 2027 Formula 1 season, ending weeks of speculation over the team’s line-up and securing the New Zealander’s place on the grid.
The decision also means British rookie Lindblad will continue alongside Lawson, while Bulgarian driver Nikola Tsolov has been named reserve for both Red Bull-owned teams. Tsolov, who is challenging for the Formula 2 title, had been linked with a possible promotion to a Racing Bulls race seat.
For Lawson, the confirmation settles a question that had lingered over his immediate future. His seat appeared uncertain earlier this month as the team and its parent organisation considered their options.
He has now secured a third full season in Formula 1 and an opportunity to build on what has been described as his strongest campaign in the series so far.
Lawson has scored 89 points and sits ninth in the Drivers’ Championship, making him the highest-scoring driver from a midfield team. He has scored points in 15 races, including three outings with Red Bull earlier in the season when he deputised for the injured Isack Hadjar.
Lindblad, in his rookie year, has collected 38 points. Their results have helped Racing Bulls move towards a potential fifth-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship. At the time of the announcement, the team held a 45-point advantage over Alpine.
Team principal Alan Permane said the pairing offered the team a combination of experience and ambition.
“We’re delighted to be continuing with Liam and Arvid for 2027,” he said. “Both have demonstrated their ability and potential throughout the season, and we’ve seen the progress they’ve made, both individually and as a pairing.”
Permane added that the team regarded the decision as a foundation for further progress, saying: “I have no doubt that this is the best driver line-up for us.”
The choice to retain both drivers signals confidence in what they have delivered together. It also gives the team continuity as it plans for next season.
Keeping a pair that has scored consistently and helped move Racing Bulls up the constructors’ order avoids the disruption of introducing a new race driver while the team tries to build on its current position.
But the decision is also a judgment about potential. Lawson’s season has strengthened his case after a period of uncertainty, while Lindblad has made an encouraging start to his Formula 1 career.
Together, they offer Racing Bulls a mix of experience and youth—though the results will need to continue if the team is to justify Permane’s assessment that this is its strongest available pairing.
Lawson said he was “very happy” to remain with the team, crediting its work on the car and the collective effort across the organisation. He said he was looking forward to continuing with Lindblad and carrying the current momentum into 2027.
Lindblad described his first season as one of new experiences and learning, thanking the team and Red Bull for their support. He said he was eager to build on what he had learned and continue driving alongside Lawson.
The 19-year-old’s next challenge will be to turn a promising rookie campaign into more consistent performance as expectations rise.
Tsolov’s appointment as reserve driver leaves him outside the race line-up for now, but keeps him within the Red Bull system.
The team said his reserve role would include simulator and development work, along with track experience through practice sessions, testing of previous cars and tyre testing. That programme is designed to prepare him for a potential future race seat.
The timing is notable because Tsolov remains in contention for the Formula 2 championship. He sits second, seven points behind Rafael Camara, with rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi still to come.
Should he win the title, he could enter 2027 with a major junior-series achievement, but his immediate route into Formula 1 will be through development and reserve duties rather than a full-time seat.
For Racing Bulls, retaining Lawson and Lindblad resolves one part of a wider driver-market puzzle. It also reflects a preference for rewarding current performance instead of making a change based on a prospect’s junior results alone.
Tsolov’s reserve appointment keeps another option close to the team, while giving Lawson and Lindblad the security to prepare for a second season together.
There is a practical advantage to that stability. Drivers who already understand the team’s systems and one another’s working styles can help engineers carry knowledge from one season to the next.
But continuity only matters if it produces improvement. Racing Bulls will expect the pairing to build on its points haul and help the team defend or improve its place among the constructors.
The announcement gives Lawson a measure of stability after weeks of doubt, and provides Lindblad with the backing to continue his development at the top level.
It also makes clear that a place in the Red Bull junior programme does not automatically translate into a race seat: Tsolov will have to use his reserve role and remaining F2 campaign to strengthen his case.
For now, Racing Bulls have chosen to stay with the combination that has delivered results in 2026. The 2027 season will show whether that confidence was well placed and whether Lawson and Lindblad can turn a promising pairing into a genuine step forward for the team.
