Alan Permane denies 2027 Racing Bulls seat rumors for Nikola Tsolov

It is remarkable how fast these stories catch fire. Just as Racing Bulls arrived at the Red Bull Ring looking to add to their 41 points, rumors began swirling that they were planning to replace their current line-up with Formula 2 contender Nikola Tsolov for 2027. Team principal Alan Permane has moved quickly to kill that noise, insisting they have not spoken about the matter internally at all.

While Tsolov is part of the Red Bull Junior Team and is currently sitting P2 in the F2 standings, the reality of the situation is much calmer than the gossip suggests. “I don’t know where it’s come from but it’s certainly not come from us,” Permane noted, emphasizing that the team is focused on their current drivers. In fact, the team’s attention was squarely on their rookie mandate, with Ayumu Iwasa taking the car for FP1 and putting in a performance described by the boss as “a very good day” after placing P15.

Following that session, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad took over to post P9 and P12 respectively in the second practice. Permane sounded much more interested in the technical work being done, noting that the cars are showing better balance and long-run pace than they managed in Barcelona. It is a productive, serious operation right now, and one that is clearly not distracted by the rumor mill.