Racing Bulls: Red Bull talent Nikola Tsolov takes the wheel from Lawson

Liam Lawson does not yet know whether, or how, his Formula 1 career will continue after the current season. As is well known, the New Zealander is fighting to keep his seat with the Red Bull junior team, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. He has put in a strong performance this year. The 24-year-old has scored 63 of his 77 World Championship points so far in the Racing Bulls car, making him significantly more successful than his rookie team-mate Arvid Lindblad, who has 38 World Championship points to his name.

In Austin, Lawson crossed the finish line in ninth place and received kind words from team principal Alan Permane. Over the radio, the 59-year-old Briton praised his protégé: “Very well done, outstanding! That was a perfect weekend!”

Nevertheless, Liam Lawson will have to hand over his GP car to someone else for the upcoming race weekend in Mexico City. Of all people, it is Nikola Tsolov who will take part in the first free practice session in Lawson’s GP car – the very driver who could challenge him for the seat in 2027.

An important milestone for Nikola Tsolov

This will mark the first time Tsolov has put his foot down in a Formula 1 car as part of a Grand Prix weekend. The Bulgarian, who currently competes in Formula 2 and sits second in the overall standings with two race weekends remaining, gained his first experience behind the wheel of a GP car at the end of August. During the test session at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, he drove the 2025 VCARB 02 and covered 690 test kilometres.

Speaking about his upcoming outing in Mexico, the teenager said: “A big thank you to VCARB for giving me this opportunity in Mexico. Following my test with the team at Imola in August, I’m looking forward to taking this next step, building on that experience and learning more about the car and the current regulations. I’ll be focusing on getting the most out of this session, working closely with the team and providing useful feedback.”

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Permane describes the stint as an important step in Tsolov’s development. “This also reflects our commitment to nurturing emerging talent and providing our young drivers with valuable track time and the support they need to learn new things and develop further. As we’ve already worked with Nikola at Imola, we’re looking forward to seeing how he’ll build on his previous experience in Mexico and support our preparations for the race with his feedback.”