Racing
© Morio
Nikola Tsolov has emerged as a serious option for a Racing Bulls Formula 1 seat in 2027, with RacingNews365 reporting that the move is close and increasingly likely, but not yet finalized because no final decision has been made and no contract has been signed.
The Bulgarian has forced his way into the conversation with a standout rookie Formula 2 season. Tsolov won the feature race at the opening round in Australia, added a sprint victory in Miami and then took another feature race win in Monaco. He sits second in the standings, six points behind championship leader Gabriele Minì.
That form has strengthened his standing inside Red Bull's junior system, where he is understood to be highly rated by key decision-makers. Tsolov joined the Red Bull junior team in 2025 and arrived in Formula 2 this year after finishing runner-up in the 2025 Formula 3 championship.
The complication is that Tsolov's path is tied to a much bigger question inside the Red Bull structure: Max Verstappen's future. Reporting around the team says the wider driver market still revolves around Verstappen, and that uncertainty is one reason it remains unclear which Racing Bulls driver would have to make way if Tsolov is promoted.
That leaves extra pressure on the current Racing Bulls line-up of Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad. Lawson has scored points in five of the opening seven rounds, and reporting has framed his 2027 chances as dependent on clearly beating Lindblad across the season rather than simply continuing to score.
Red Bull already reshaped its ladder for 2026, with Lawson and Lindblad at Racing Bulls, and Tsolov now looks like the next junior in line if another vacancy opens. The strongest indication so far is that his promotion is not certain, but the probability of him reaching Formula 1 next year is now seen as very high.
If that happens, Tsolov would become the first Bulgarian driver to race in Formula 1 and, according to the reporting, the first Formula 1 driver from the Balkans.