Racing
© Eterna
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has identified Nikola Tsolov as “next in line” for a seat at the Faenza-based Formula 1 team, with Red Bull set to make its 2027 driver decisions later this season.
Tsolov’s rise has gathered real momentum in Formula 2. The 19-year-old Red Bull junior leads the championship after eight rounds and holds a 27-point advantage over Gabriele Mini, putting him firmly at the front of the queue for any future opening inside the Red Bull system.
His recent form is a major part of that. Tsolov took control of the F2 title fight by winning three consecutive feature races from the Red Bull Ring to Silverstone, becoming the first driver to put together that kind of streak in the category since Davide Valsecchi in 2012.
Alan Permane, Racing Bulls team principal, made clear that Tsolov is being watched closely. “He’s doing incredibly well,” Permane told media, including RacingNews365. “He’s now leading the championship after his great weekend at Silverstone. So, to say he’s on the radar would be a little bit of an understatement. He’s next in line, I think it’s fair to say.”
What Permane did not do was offer any timeline for a promotion. He said no decision had been taken on “whether, if and when” Tsolov would move up, adding that the team is not actively focused on that call right now.
“When that'll be, I don’t know, honestly,” Permane said. “It’s definitely not untrue to say we're not thinking about it at the moment. He's there, he's doing his job, we're doing our job, and we'll make a call on whether, if and when, he comes up to Racing Bulls later this year, I'm sure.”
That caution is reflected in the practical steps still missing from any promotion path. Red Bull has not requested an FIA Super Licence for Tsolov, while Ayumu Iwasa continues to cover the mandatory FP1 sessions. It also comes with Racing Bulls’ current lineup still stable, with Liam Lawson and rookie team-mate Arvid Lindblad both described by Permane as enjoying strong seasons.
So while recent rumors had suggested Tsolov had already been chosen to replace Lawson next year, Permane’s comments point to something more measured: Red Bull’s junior standout has become its clearest future Racing Bulls option, but the decision on when that turns into an F1 move is still to come.