Red Bull Racing will be keeping its current driver lineup intact for next year, with rookie Alexander Albon staying on as Max Verstappen’s teammate for the 2020.

Albon started his Formula 1 career with Scuderia Toro Rosso this year, and after picking up five top-10 finishes in the first 12 races, he was promoted to Red Bull in place of French driver Pierre Gasly, who then went back to Toro Rosso.

Since coming on at Red Bull, Albon amassed seven consecutive finishes inside the top six, and was even named Driver of the Day at the recent U.S. Grand Prix.

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While he’s not quite as fast (or familiar with the car) as Verstappen, the talent is certainly there and he now has another year to prove that he deserves to be the Dutchman’s teammate long-term.

“Alex has performed extremely well since his debut with the team in Belgium and his results – seven finishes in the top-six – speak for themselves. It’s extremely hard to deny that level of consistency and in tandem with a growing reputation as a tenacious, fiercely committed racer, Alex has proved that he fully deserves to continue his progress with Aston Martin Red Bull Racing,” said team principal Christian Horner.

“There is plenty of potential still to unlock and we look forward to seeing Alex alongside Max in 2020.”

Meanwhile, Albon stated that he’s really excited about returning as Verstappen’s teammate for next year, and acknowledges how lucky he is to be in this position.

“I’m hugely thankful that Red Bull have put their trust in me and believed in my results since I joined the team and for them to keep me in the car next year is a big deal. This year has been an incredible year for me and getting the call up to Red Bull mid-season was already a big step, so now I will use the learnings from this season and use the experience to improve and fight at the front in 2020.”

Albon is on track to finish sixth in the 2019 Driver Standings, as he is currently 4 points clear of McLaren’s Carlos Sainz, whose car isn’t quite as good as the Red Bull.