Racing Bulls has confirmed Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad as its drivers for the 2027 F1 season, keeping the same pairing for a second year.
Lawson has signed a new deal after a season that put his seat in doubt, with Red Bull's F2 front-runner Nikola Tsolov tipped as a possible replacement.
Fifth in the standings
The New Zealander and the British rookie have taken Racing Bulls to fifth in the constructors' championship. If it holds, that will be the team's best result.
Lawson has scored 89 points, more than double Lindblad's total, with three rounds left: Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Autosport and The Race both report that his drives during the recent run of races in the Americas swung the decision his way. Team boss Alan Permane said he had "no doubt" this was the team's best line-up.
2027 will be Lawson's third full season. He first raced in F1 as a stand-in in 2023.
A reserve role for Tsolov
Red Bull has named Tsolov, a 19-year-old from Bulgaria, as the reserve driver for both of its teams in 2027.
He has won six F2 races this year, and goes into the last two rounds second in the standings, fighting Rafael Camara for the title.
Tsolov drove for Racing Bulls in first practice in Mexico. In 2027 he will work in the simulator and run in practice sessions, tests in older cars and tyre tests.
"My ambition is clear: I want to become an F1 driver," he said.
What happens next
Lawson and Lindblad now have three races to lock in fifth place for Racing Bulls. The season moves to Las Vegas next, then Qatar and the Abu Dhabi finale.
Tsolov's F2 title fight will be settled over the last two rounds, in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Race it on Late Brake
This story isn't tied to one circuit, but Late Brake, the free browser game, has six real ones: Spielberg, Monza, Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, Monaco and Interlagos. Pick one, chase the gold medal time and then race your own ghost to find the last tenth.
Sources: Autosport, The Race, BBC Sport, Motorsport.com, The Race: Tsolov, Autosport: Tsolov