Kiwi F1 driver Liam Lawson will be keeping his seat for next season, according to European reports.
According to Dutch publication De Telegraaf, several sources have said Lawson will retain his seat with Racing Bulls - Red Bull's junior outfit. The publication reported that 18-year-old British-Dutch driver Arvid Lindblad will be Lawson's new teammate.
The announcement was expected to be made tomorrow (NZT).
Lindblad currently sits in sixth in Formula 2 and won the ANZ Toyota Formula Regional championship in New Zealand earlier this year. Autosport.com also reported on Lindblad's promotion to F1.
Lawson's current teammate, Isack Hadjar, will move up to Red Bull, after a series of solid performances this year in what has been a strong rookie season for the Frenchman.
It means Yuki Tsunoda, who was moved up to Red Bull after Lawson's early-season demotion, without a full-time drive.
“This coming weekend in Abu Dhabi, he'll drive his final race for Red Bull," De Telegraaf wrote.
"He'll skip the first free practice session on Friday, as every driver has to do it twice a year to give a rookie a chance. Lindblad will step in then. The Japanese driver may remain as a reserve driver, but that's not yet clear.”
It's been a topsy-turvy season for Lawson, who was demoted by Red Bull after just two races.
Back in the Racing Bulls team, where he started upon replacing Daniel Ricciardo last year, Lawson has managed to string together a series of point-scoring results. He currently sits in 14th with 38 points.
His best result of the year came in Azerbaijan, where he finished fifth. At his last race in Qatar, Lawson finished ninth.
Hadjar is 10th in the standings with 51 points, with a third-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix granting him the first podium of his career. Tsunoda, on the other hand, has struggled to keep up with his Red Bull teammate and World Champion Max Verstappen, who will battle for his fifth title in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Tsunoda sits in 15th, just one place behind Lawson, on 33 points.
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