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Tsolov gets first Racing Bulls FP1 outing in Mexico
Nikola Tsolov will make his FP1 debut for Racing Bulls at the Mexico City Grand Prix in place of Liam Lawson, with the team yet to confirm its 2027 driver line-up.
Lawson is currently in his second full season in Formula 1, having made substitute appearances in 2023 before stepping into a full-time race seat in late 2024. The New Zealander has impressed in scoring points in all but five races so far this season, but both he and rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad are yet to have their futures confirmed.
Should there be a change at Racing Bulls, Tsolov is seen as the clear option to step up next year, with the Bulgarian fighting for the Formula 2 championship in his rookie season, and now getting an FP1 outing to follow a previous car test in August.
“A big thank you to VCARB for giving me this opportunity in Mexico,” Tsolov said. “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. I’ll focus on making the most of the session, working closely with the team and providing useful feedback.”
Team principal Alan Permane says the FP1 outing is the natural progression for Tsolov after he completed solid mileage in the 2025 car in the summer.
“Running Nikola in FP1 is an important step in his development within the Red Bull Junior Program,” Permane said. “It reflects our commitment to nurturing emerging talent and giving our junior drivers valuable track time and the support they need to learn and develop. Having already worked with Nikola at Imola, we’re looking forward to seeing him build on that experience in Mexico and to the feedback he can provide to help support our preparations for the weekend.”
Tsolov joins a busy FP1 session with rookie drivers in Mexico, with Fred Vesti (Mercedes), Leonardo Fornaroli (McLaren), Gabriele Mini (Alpine), Ryo Hirakawa (Haas), Freddie Slater (Audi), Luke Browning (Williams), Jak Crawford (Aston Martin) and Colton Herta (Cadillac) all also appearing.
Chris Medland
While studying Sports Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, Chris managed to talk his way into working at the British Grand Prix in 2008 and was retained for three years before joining ESPN F1 as Assistant Editor. After three further years at ESPN, a spell as F1 Editor at Crash Media Group was followed by the major task of launching F1i.com’s English-language website and running it as Editor. Present at every race since the start of 2014, he has continued building his freelance portfolio, working with international titles. As well as writing for RACER, his broadcast work includes television appearances on F1 TV and as a presenter and reporter on North America's live radio coverage on SiriusXM.
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