{"id":4192,"date":"2026-10-20T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=4192"},"modified":"2026-10-19T17:17:37","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T20:17:37","slug":"f2-boss-declares-tsolov-ready-for-f1-as-lawson-and-lindblad-face-racing-bulls-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/f2-boss-declares-tsolov-ready-for-f1-as-lawson-and-lindblad-face-racing-bulls-decision\/","title":{"rendered":"F2 boss declares Tsolov ready for F1 as Lawson and Lindblad face Racing Bulls decision"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bruno Michel believes Nikola Tsolov is ready for Formula 1<\/strong>, praising the Bulgarian&#8217;s performances in the 2026 Formula 2 championship.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lawson and Lindblad remain without confirmed Racing Bulls contracts for 2027<\/strong>, despite helping the team reach fifth in the Constructors&#8217; Championship.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Alan Permane says the decision will come in the next few weeks<\/strong>, with three credible candidates competing for two seats.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nikola Tsolov is ready to make the step into Formula 1, according to Formula 2 CEO Bruno Michel<\/strong>, increasing the pressure on Racing Bulls as the team prepares to decide whether Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad will remain its drivers for the 2027 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Bulgarian has emerged as one of the leading candidates for promotion after challenging Ferrari junior Rafael C\u00e2mara for the Formula 2 championship. However, Racing Bulls already has two drivers delivering competitive results, creating a difficult choice for team principal Alan Permane and Red Bull&#8217;s wider management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking to <em>PlanetF1.com<\/em>, Michel was asked whether Tsolov had demonstrated the qualities required to compete in Formula 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The answer is yes. I think he&#8217;s ready,&#8221; Michel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, he immediately distinguished his assessment of Tsolov&#8217;s ability from any suggestion that the Bulgarian had already secured a seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The answer is not I know he will be in Formula 1 next year, so that&#8217;s a different answer.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The distinction is important because Racing Bulls has not announced either driver for 2027, while Lawson and Lindblad have both strengthened their positions through their performances this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/F2-2026-Nikola-Tsolov-Campos-Azerbaijao-Foto-F2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1020316275\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/F2-2026-Nikola-Tsolov-Campos-Azerbaijao-Foto-F2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/F2-2026-Nikola-Tsolov-Campos-Azerbaijao-Foto-F2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/F2-2026-Nikola-Tsolov-Campos-Azerbaijao-Foto-F2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/F2-2026-Nikola-Tsolov-Campos-Azerbaijao-Foto-F2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/F2-2026-Nikola-Tsolov-Campos-Azerbaijao-Foto-F2-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/F2-2026-Nikola-Tsolov-Campos-Azerbaijao-Foto-F2-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nikola Tsolov (Photo: F2)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">F2 boss backs Tsolov after impressive rookie campaign<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsolov has established himself as one of Formula 2&#8217;s leading drivers during his first full season in the championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Bulgarian has challenged C\u00e2mara for the title, combining race victories with consistent performances despite the difficulties normally associated with moving into the category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michel praised both drivers for the quality of their championship battle and the maturity they have demonstrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I think the fight he&#8217;s having with Rafa is very, very impressive,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The F2 CEO also highlighted Tsolov&#8217;s consistency, describing the Bulgarian as a spectacular driver who has demonstrated the characteristics required for Formula 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The comparison with C\u00e2mara is particularly relevant because the Brazilian has already secured his place on the 2027 grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/haas-confirms-ferrari-protege-rafael-camara-for-2027-as-ocon-loses-f1-seat\/\"><strong>Haas confirmed C\u00e2mara as Esteban Ocon&#8217;s replacement for next season<\/strong><\/a>, giving the Ferrari junior a direct route into Formula 1 while Tsolov continues waiting for Red Bull&#8217;s decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsolov has also participated in Formula 1 testing with Racing Bulls, gaining experience of the team&#8217;s machinery and working procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His progress has reinforced Red Bull&#8217;s interest in promoting another junior driver, but the organisation must balance that objective against the results delivered by its current line-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lawson makes strongest statistical case for Racing Bulls seat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawson has strengthened his position considerably during the 2026 season, particularly after returning to Racing Bulls following a three-race spell replacing the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The New Zealander has scored <strong>61 points for Racing Bulls<\/strong>, compared with Lindblad&#8217;s 38, despite competing in only 14 rounds for the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also collected 14 points during his temporary Red Bull appearance, taking his Drivers&#8217; Championship total to 75.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/lawson-leads-lindblad-10-4-in-f1-races-but-is-that-enough-for-2027\/\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO established in its detailed comparison published on October 17<\/strong><\/a>, Lawson leads his teammate <strong>9\u20135 in qualifying and 10\u20134 in race results<\/strong> across their 14 shared Grands Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The figures demonstrate his stronger immediate contribution, although Lindblad has also produced an encouraging rookie campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawson&#8217;s recent results have been particularly important. He scored 16 points across the Bahrain and Singapore weekends, including a fifth-place finish in the Singapore sprint and seventh place in the Grand Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/lawson-delivers-16-points-in-two-f1-weekends-can-racing-bulls-afford-to-lose-him\/\"><strong>His recent points haul accounts for a substantial share of Racing Bulls&#8217; championship total<\/strong><\/a>, reinforcing the argument that the team would lose a reliable points scorer if it decided to promote Tsolov at his expense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Red Bull&#8217;s junior programme has historically prioritised identifying future drivers for its senior team, meaning current performance is only one part of the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-singapura-marina-bay-corrida-podio-racing-bulls-liam-lawson-3-1024x576.png\" alt=\"F1 2026, SINGAPURA, MARINA BAY, CORRIDA, RACING BULLS, LIAM LAWSON, CARRO\" class=\"wp-image-1020318065\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-singapura-marina-bay-corrida-podio-racing-bulls-liam-lawson-3-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-singapura-marina-bay-corrida-podio-racing-bulls-liam-lawson-3-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-singapura-marina-bay-corrida-podio-racing-bulls-liam-lawson-3-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-singapura-marina-bay-corrida-podio-racing-bulls-liam-lawson-3-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-singapura-marina-bay-corrida-podio-racing-bulls-liam-lawson-3-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-singapura-marina-bay-corrida-podio-racing-bulls-liam-lawson-3-150x84.png 150w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-singapura-marina-bay-corrida-podio-racing-bulls-liam-lawson-3.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Liam Lawson (Photo: Red Bull Content Pool)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lindblad remains central to Red Bull&#8217;s long-term plans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lindblad has faced a demanding first Formula 1 season after graduating through Red Bull&#8217;s junior development programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The British driver has scored 38 points and helped Racing Bulls maintain fifth place in the Constructors&#8217; Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although Lawson has generally been stronger in direct comparisons, Lindblad has demonstrated competitive qualifying pace and secured valuable results during his rookie campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His age and limited Formula 1 experience are important considerations for the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Red Bull has historically allowed promising young drivers time to develop at Racing Bulls before evaluating whether they are ready for promotion to the senior operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lindblad&#8217;s first season has therefore provided useful information about his potential, but it has not necessarily established the full extent of his development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team must decide whether a second season alongside Lawson would offer the best environment for Lindblad to progress or whether promoting Tsolov would provide greater long-term value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"669\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Lindblad-Sprint-Singapur-ES-1024x669.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1020317708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Lindblad-Sprint-Singapur-ES-1024x669.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Lindblad-Sprint-Singapur-ES-300x196.jpg 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Lindblad-Sprint-Singapur-ES-768x501.jpg 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Lindblad-Sprint-Singapur-ES-1536x1003.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Lindblad-Sprint-Singapur-ES-2048x1337.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Lindblad-Sprint-Singapur-ES-150x98.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Arvid Lindblad (Photo: Red Bull Content Pool)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Permane admits three drivers cannot fit into two seats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has already acknowledged the difficulty of the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, Permane confirmed that the team was not rushing to finalise its line-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We&#8217;re in no rush,&#8221; he said, explaining that Racing Bulls had two strong current drivers and another promising candidate in Formula 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;But three doesn&#8217;t fit into two, of course,&#8221; Permane added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The British engineer indicated that the decision would be made in the coming weeks, without committing to a specific announcement date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also explained that Racing Bulls must consider more than immediate results because of its responsibility to develop future Red Bull drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speed, consistency, technical feedback and long-term potential will all influence the selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michel acknowledged that those considerations make the decision particularly difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He praised Lawson&#8217;s recent performances and Lindblad&#8217;s rookie campaign, while maintaining that Tsolov had already demonstrated the ability required to compete in Formula 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The F2 CEO also made clear that the final choice belongs to Red Bull&#8217;s management rather than Formula 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Racing Bulls 2027: Three drivers competing for two seats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Driver<\/th><th>Current position<\/th><th>Strongest argument<\/th><th>Main uncertainty<\/th><\/tr><tr><td><strong>L. LAWSON<\/strong><\/td><td>Racing Bulls F1<\/td><td>61 team points; leads Lindblad 10\u20134 in races<\/td><td>Red Bull&#8217;s preference for developing new drivers<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>A. LINDBLAD<\/strong><\/td><td>Racing Bulls F1<\/td><td>Competitive rookie season; 38 points<\/td><td>Has generally trailed Lawson<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>N. TSOLOV<\/strong><\/td><td>Formula 2<\/td><td>Championship contender; backed by Bruno Michel<\/td><td>No Grand Prix race experience<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The table reflects the situation after the Singapore Grand Prix and the statements available on October 19, 2026. It is not a prediction of the final driver line-up.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawson and Lindblad currently provide Racing Bulls with continuity and a competitive partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsolov offers the possibility of introducing another promising young driver into the Red Bull structure, but his promotion would require at least one of the incumbents to leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team must also consider the technical demands of 2027, when drivers will enter the second season of Formula 1&#8217;s new power-unit and aerodynamic regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Continuity could help Racing Bulls build on its 2026 performance, while a rookie promotion would involve an adaptation period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decision is expected before the end of the season, although no official date has been confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Austin gives Lawson and Lindblad another chance to influence decision<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The United States Grand Prix on October 23\u201325 will provide another opportunity for Lawson and Lindblad to demonstrate their value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Racing Bulls enters the weekend fifth in the Constructors&#8217; Championship with 100 points, ahead of Alpine and Haas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team has benefited from Lawson&#8217;s consistency and Lindblad&#8217;s progress, but maintaining its position will require further points during the final six races.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Lawson, Austin also carries significance away from the circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The New Zealander is scheduled to perform live at a special Racing Bulls event on Thursday, October 22, reuniting with his brother and childhood friends for a concert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/liam-lawson-will-perform-live-in-austin-ahead-of-the-2026-united-states-grand-prix\/\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO reported the details of Lawson&#8217;s Austin performance<\/strong><\/a>, which forms part of the team&#8217;s activities ahead of the Grand Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Formula 1 weekend begins on Friday, October 23, with the race scheduled for Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tags:<\/strong> Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad, Nikola Tsolov, Racing Bulls<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Formula 2 CEO Bruno Michel believes Nikola Tsolov is ready to graduate to Formula 1, leaving Racing Bulls facing a difficult choice between the Bulgarian prospect and its established pairing of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020314131,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Liam Lawson","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Gabriel L\u00f3pez\/Grande Pr\u00eamio","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_ai_content_disclaimer":"","42wp_is_ai_content":false,"42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":7,"location":""}],"footnotes":"","42wp_hide_from_automatic":false,"42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[195,196,94,95],"42wp_author":[7],"class_list":["post-4192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","tag-arvid-lindblad","tag-liam-lawson","tag-nikola-tsolov","tag-racing-bulls","42wp_author-victor-martins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4192"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4193,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4192\/revisions\/4193"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020314131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4192"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=4192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}