Lindblad and Lawson retained as Racing Bulls drivers for 2027
Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson will continue as drivers for Red Bull's second team, Racing Bulls, in 2027, the team announced on 12 November 2026. Red Bull had been deciding whether to promote Bulgarian Formula 2 front-runner Nikola Tsolov but opted to keep the current pairing for a second season.
Team principal Alan Permane defended the decision, saying: "I have no doubt that this is the best driver line-up for us, bringing a strong combination of experience and ambition. "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." The move departs from Red Bull's recent approach of accelerating drivers quickly through its programme; Racing Bulls exists to identify potential candidates for the main team and has previously moved on drivers who failed to meet expectations.
Lawson, 24, has had an interrupted path within the Red Bull stable: he was promoted to Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen for the 2025 season but was demoted after two races in which he struggled. The New Zealander has since sought to rebuild his career and was re-promoted to Red Bull for the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix this year while regular driver Isack Hadjar was recovering from a broken wrist.
Lindblad, a 19-year-old Briton who made his debut this season, has shown strong moments across his rookie campaign but, on average, has trailed Lawson. Lawson has out-qualified Lindblad 13 times to nine and has scored more than twice as many points this season.
Racing Bulls sit fifth in the constructors' championship on 114 points, 45 points clear of Alpine. Lawson reflected on the season and the retention, saying: "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 fifth place in the constructors' championship. "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." Lindblad added: "It's been a truly special year, full of new experiences and learnings since the very first pre-season test. I'd like to thank everyone for their trust and support. "I can't wait to get started next year, building on everything I've learned during my rookie season."
The news release announcing the retained pairing made no mention of Tsolov; he is expected to be retained by Red Bull in some form of reserve role in which he gains experience through work in the simulator and with testing previous cars. Keeping Lawson on board for 2027 gives Red Bull a known-quality benchmark with which to continue their assessment of Lindblad, who made his debut this season.