Credit : Formula 1
FAENZA, November 12, 2026 – Racing Bulls have confirmed that Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad will remain the team’s Formula 1 driver pairing in 2027, ending months of speculation about the New Zealander’s seat and leaving the Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov without the race drive that had been linked to him.
Formula 1’s official website said on Thursday that both drivers had extended their contracts, and that the Faenza team would field an unchanged line-up next season. The announcement came a week after Tsolov made a practice debut for the team. Team principal Alan Permane had earlier said the organisation was “trying to apply a little bit of science” to reach “the right decision”. On Thursday he was unequivocal: “I have no doubt that this is the best driver line-up for us, bringing a strong combination of experience and ambition.”
Lawson’s future had been the main source of uncertainty. The official report noted that his recent form, including a São Paulo Grand Prix weekend in which he qualified third and finished seventh, had taken him to 89 points — more than the season total of midfield rivals Alpine. It was his fourth seventh-place finish in five Grands Prix and has helped Racing Bulls tighten their hold on fifth in the constructors’ championship, which would be the team’s best result if it is preserved, dating back to their origins as Minardi.
Lindblad, in his rookie season, was credited with 38 points and with a consistency that has earned him a second year. “I’m very happy to be continuing with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls in 2027,” he said, thanking the team and Red Bull for their trust. Lawson said he was “very happy” to stay, praised a “brilliant season” and a fast car, and added that it felt “great to be part of a historic season” as the team fights for fifth. He said he was looking forward to carrying that momentum into 2027 with Lindblad.
Permane said both men had shown ability and potential, and that the team had seen progress “both individually and as a pairing”. He described the retained line-up as a “solid foundation” on which to build in 2027. The decision closes one of the grid’s more closely watched personnel questions, though Formula 1’s own report noted that other 2027 seats, including at Haas and Cadillac, have still to be settled. Those situations are not part of Racing Bulls’ announcement and are mentioned only as context.
For Tsolov, the statement is a door closed, at least for a race seat at Faenza next year. For Lawson, whose place had been questioned in public for weeks, it is a vote of confidence after a strong run of results. The constructors’ fight for fifth still has races to run, and neither Lawson nor Lindblad is being asked to do anything other than keep scoring. The team will now take an unchanged driver pairing into those remaining Grands Prix and, on the official record, into the 2027 season beyond.
Source : Formula 1 official report of the team’s announcement, and the Racing Bulls statement.
Credit : Formula 1
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