On June 23, 2026, Spanish motorsport outlet Soy Motor published an exclusive report stating that Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov (pictured) has already secured a Formula 1 seat for the 2027 season with Racing Bulls (the Red Bull sister team, formerly AlphaTauri\/VCARB).<\/p>\n
\u2013by Mark Cipolloni\u2013<\/p>\n
Key Claims from the Soy Motor Report<\/p>\n
\u2013 Tsolov has a guaranteed (\u201cgarantizado\u201d) and verbally agreed (\u201capalabrado\u201d) seat at Racing Bulls for 2027.
\u2013 The deal is done, but the full driver lineup puzzle remains to be solved depending on other moves.
\u2013 Tsolov has impressed Red Bull\u2019s top decision-makers (\u201clos \u2018capos\u2019 de Red Bull\u201d) with his results.
\u2013 He is viewed as the best-prepared Red Bull junior for an F1 step-up in 2027 (ahead of others like Ayumu Iwasa, who has done FP1 sessions).<\/p>\n
Quote from the article:
\u201cNikola Tsolov tiene garantizado un asiento de F\u00f3rmula 1 en 2027\u2026 El piloto b\u00falgaro\u2026 ya tiene confirmado su salto al equipo Racing Bulls de cara a la pr\u00f3xima temporada. Hay acuerdo. Falta por saber el resto del \u2018puzle\u2019.\u201d
(\u201cNikola Tsolov has a guaranteed Formula 1 seat for 2027\u2026 The Bulgarian driver\u2026 already has his move to Racing Bulls confirmed for next season. There is an agreement. What remains is to solve the rest of the puzzle.\u201d)<\/p>\n
The Verstappen Factor<\/p>\n
The report heavily ties Tsolov\u2019s arrival to Max Verstappen\u2019s future:<\/p>\n
\u2013 If Verstappen stays at Red Bull for 2027, one Racing Bulls seat will open up \u2014 and Liam Lawson is the driver most at risk of being displaced.
\u2013 If Verstappen leaves, more options open up across the Red Bull family, but Tsolov\u2019s Racing Bulls seat is still secured regardless.<\/p>\n
Quote:
\u201cLa decisi\u00f3n de Max es clave. En el caso de que decida seguir, uno de los pilotos de Racing Bulls sobra. Ese piloto, a priori, es Liam Lawson \u2013tiene todas las papeletas para quedarse fuera\u2013.\u201d
(\u201cMax\u2019s decision is key. If he decides to stay, one of the Racing Bulls drivers will be surplus. That driver, a priori, is Liam Lawson \u2013 he has all the cards to be left out.\u201d)<\/p>\n
Who Is Nikola Tsolov?<\/p>\n
\u2013 Bulgarian driver, 19\u201320 years old (born 2006), member of the Red Bull Junior Team.
\u2013 Currently in his rookie 2026 FIA Formula 2 season with Campos Racing.
\u2013 Strong performer: 2nd in the F2 championship with 80 points, 3 wins (two feature races, one sprint) so far.
\u2013 2025: Runner-up in FIA Formula 3 (also with Campos), despite bad luck.
\u2013 Earlier: Dominant in Spanish F4.
\u2013 Nicknamed \u201cel le\u00f3n b\u00falgaro\u201d (the Bulgarian lion) by Soy Motor.
\u2013 Former prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of Fernando Alonso via A14 Management (they parted ways tumultuously; Tsolov is no longer managed by them).<\/p>\n
He made a late F2 debut in the final rounds of 2025 and has adapted quickly in 2026.<\/p>\n
Current Context (as of June 2026)<\/p>\n
\u2013 Racing Bulls 2026 lineup: Liam Lawson (lead driver, performing solidly in midfield) and Arvid Lindblad.
\u2013 Lawson is in his second year with the team after a stint at the senior Red Bull squad.
\u2013 Tsolov\u2019s promotion would follow the classic Red Bull pathway: strong junior results \u2192 F2 title contention \u2192 Racing Bulls seat \u2192 potential Red Bull promotion.<\/p>\n
Broader Reception<\/p>\n
The story has spread rapidly across social media (Instagram, X\/Twitter, Reddit, etc.) within hours of publication. English-language sites such as F1 Oversteer have reported on it, framing it as Tsolov \u201csecuring\u201d the seat with Lawson\u2019s future now in question. Some fans are sympathetic to Lawson, while others see it as typical Red Bull ruthlessness in developing juniors.<\/p>\n