Racing Bulls is leaning toward this decision on Lawson and Lindblad for 2027

Racing Bulls is aware it finds itself in a privileged position, potentially having three excellent drivers for two Formula 1 seats in 2027. Not only does the Italian team have current drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad at its disposal, but Nikola Tsolov, the current F2 championship leader, is knocking firmly on the door.

Peter Bayer, the CEO of Racing Bulls, sees no issue whatsoever with having three drivers for two spots. “No, because Arvid and Liam are both doing a fantastic job. I believe Liam is currently ninth in the drivers’ championship, and he has shown in both qualifying and races that he is very fast. The same actually applies to Nikola, who is doing extremely well in Formula 2,” the Austrian explained to, among others, GPblog.

Tsolov is having his first Test of Previous Cars (TPC) this week, marking his debut in a Formula 1 car. In Imola, Racing Bulls can closely evaluate how far along the Bulgarian is in his development. In advance, Bayer did not want to say whether Tsolov will definitively secure a seat at Racing Bulls. “Ultimately, the driver lineup for next year is a decision that [team principal] Alan [Permane] has to make. So he will do what is best for the team.”

Once Tsolov has completed at least 300 kilometers without crashes during a TPC, he can take part in a Formula 1 free practice session. It is likely that Racing Bulls will offer him that opportunity towards the end of the season.

GPblog hears that the most likely scenario at this moment is that Tsolov will be Racing Bulls’ test and reserve driver next year. Reportedly, Racing Bulls is leaning toward keeping Lawson and Lindblad as its driver pairing in 2027 as well.