Lawson to stay in F1 as Racing Bulls announces 2027 driver pairing

There had been speculation surrounding Lawson's future with the team, as F2 star Nikola Tsolov was tipped as a replacement.

Racing Bulls has confirmed Liam Lawson will stay with the team for the 2027 Formula 1 campaign, partnering Arvid Lindblad for a second, straight season.

They have formed a formidable duo this year having propelled Racing Bulls to fifth in the championship, which is set to be the Anglo-Italian team's best-ever result.

Despite sitting on 89 points, however, compared to 38 for rookie Lindblad, Lawson's future was in doubt thanks to junior driver Nikola Tsolov starring in F2 this year.

The 19-year-old Bulgarian is second in the standings and has been handed private testing opportunities and a rookie FP1 session in Mexico as part of his junior driver duties.

So Racing Bulls was weighing up its need for short-term performance against its explicit goal of training young drivers for parent team Red Bull.

But with Lawson rising to the occasion in recent weeks, performing some of his strongest races under constant pressure, the 24-year-old has effectively been too good for the team to ignore.

Sources indicated to Autosport in Brazil last weekend that amid a big push for the company's top leadership to back Tsolov, the pendulum swung back towards Lawson's favour with his performances over the Americas triple-header.

So the Kiwi has now signed a fresh deal for 2027 with team boss Alan Permane saying he had "no doubt" that the squad will field the strongest possible line-up next season.

"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.

“I have no doubt that this is the best driver line-up 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 pushing ourselves forward and take the next step towards achieving our ambitions in 2027."

Next year is set to be Lawson’s third, full season in F1 having made his debut at Zandvoort towards the back end of the 2023 campaign - having another partial season in 2024. 

"I’m very happy to be continuing with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls next year,” he said. “We’ve had a brilliant season together and the team has worked very hard to produce a fast car, which I’ve loved driving.

“It feels great to be part of a historic season for the team as we continue our fight for P5 in the constructors' championship. It's a testament to the hard work of everyone both at track, and back at the factory.

"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.”

Lawson is currently eighth in the drivers’ standings with Lindblad in 11th ahead of the final three rounds: Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

"Looking back on my first season in Formula 1, it's been a truly special year, full of new experiences and learnings since the very first pre-season test," said 19-year-old Lindblad.

"I can't wait to get started next year, building on everything I've learned during my rookie season. It's set to be an exciting year, and I look forward to continuing to drive alongside Liam."

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- The Autosport.com Team

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