As Speedcafe reports, Nikola Tsolov is stepping into a grand prix weekend for the very first time. The 19-year-old Bulgarian will pilot Liam Lawson's VCARB 03 during Friday's opening practice session in Mexico City.
That said, this is far from a random spin. Racing Bulls is actively weighing its driver pairing for 2027, with neither Lawson nor rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad formally locked in yet. Tsolov has put himself right in the conversation by emerging as a Formula 2 title challenger with Campos Racing, sitting second in the championship just seven points behind Haas-bound Rafael Camara with only two rounds left. He is already familiar with the machinery, having logged 143 laps in the team's 2025 car during a private test at Imola back in August. Since joining the Red Bull Junior Team in 2025—the exact year he took runner-up in Formula 3 after previously claiming the 2022 Spanish F4 title—his trajectory has been undeniable.
In keeping with this philosophy, the difficult decision between Liam Lawson and Nikola Tsolov at Racing Bulls should actually go in Tsolov's favour,
"Following my test with the team at Imola in August, I'm excited to take this next step, build on that experience and learn more about the car and the current regulations," Tsolov said. "I'll focus on making the most of the session, working closely with the team and providing useful feedback."
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane noted that the run also assists the squad in satisfying the sporting requirement for each car to be handled by an eligible rookie in at least two practice sessions across the season. Permane mentioned earlier this month that a 2027 decision is coming in the next few weeks, though he admitted the challenge of choosing between three drivers for two seats is no small task. Meanwhile, Lawson has hardly dropped the ball. He has scored points in 13 races this year to sit ninth in the drivers' championship with 77 points, standing proudly as the highest-placed driver outside the top four teams while helping Racing Bulls climb to fifth in the constructors' standings in pursuit of the first top-five finish in team history. He even filled in for three races with Red Bull earlier this season while Isack Hadjar recovered from a wrist injury.
That kind of graft wins friends in the paddock. Sky Sports F1's Naomi Schiff and 2009 world champion Jenson Button have both publicly backed him to keep his seat. "I think that if RB have made a decision already to replace him, or if they're still considering replacing him, I think they should think again," Schiff said. On the flip side, former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko feels the nod should go to Tsolov, citing the core junior-development philosophy of late Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz. "In keeping with this philosophy, the difficult decision between Liam Lawson and Nikola Tsolov at Racing Bulls should actually go in Tsolov's favour," he argued.
Tsolov won't be lonely out there, as 10 substitute drivers take over cockpits for Mexico City FP1 to tick off mandatory rookie running. Max Verstappen hands his Red Bull to Ayumu Iwasa, Lando Norris gives way to Leonardo Fornaroli at McLaren, and George Russell steps aside for Frederik Vesti at Mercedes. Audi hands Formula 3 runner-up Freddie Slater an outing in Gabriel Bortoleto's car, Luke Browning covers Alex Albon at Williams, and Ryo Hirakawa jumps into Esteban Ocon's Haas. Colton Herta runs for Cadillac, Jak Crawford for Aston Martin, and Gabriele Mini makes his practice debut, leaving Ferrari as the lone team keeping both regular drivers on track. FP1 kicks off at 5.30am AEDT Saturday.
