Alan Permane shuts down Nikola Tsolov Racing Bulls 2027 seat rumours

Alan Permane has firmly dismissed speculation that Nikola Tsolov has already been lined up for a full-time Racing Bulls seat in 2027, insisting the subject has not even been discussed internally by the team.

The rumours surfaced ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, placing an unwanted spotlight on Racing Bulls at a moment when the team has been building useful momentum. Despite fluctuating form, Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad both scored points in Monaco and at Barcelona-Catalunya, helping the squad reach a total of 41 points.

Permane rejects 2027 driver speculation

Tsolov, currently P2 in the Formula 2 standings, has inevitably attracted attention, particularly as a member of the Red Bull Junior Team since the end of 2024. His Spielberg form has also kept him in focus, with further context available in our report on Noel León’s maiden F2 pole in Spielberg qualifying, where Tsolov featured among the leading contenders.

But Permane was unequivocal when asked about the claims after Friday running at the Red Bull Ring.

“So, we haven’t spoken about it internally at all. Of course he’s there in our young driver programme, he’s doing a fantastic job in F2.”

He stressed that the season remains far too young for such conclusions, adding: “This is race eight so we’re kind of just into the second third of the season so it’s very, very early and we haven’t had any discussions at all. I don’t know where it’s come from but it’s certainly not come from us.”

Iwasa impresses during Austria FP1 outing

While Tsolov has not yet appeared in an F1 practice session, Racing Bulls used its mandatory rookie running in Austria to give Ayumu Iwasa the FP1 drive in Lawson’s car. The move had already been signalled before the weekend, as covered in our preview of Liam Lawson sitting out Austrian GP FP1 for Ayumu Iwasa.

Iwasa finished P15 in the opening session, before Lawson and Lindblad placed P9 and P12 respectively in FP2. Permane described the day as productive, noting that Iwasa helped the team complete aero work that carried across to both cars later in the day.

Racing Bulls find a better baseline

Permane said both race drivers were happy with the car’s initial balance, though braking remained an area for overnight improvement. Crucially, he underlined that Racing Bulls looked stronger than at the previous weekend, particularly over a single lap, while long-run performance had also improved compared with Barcelona.

For a team trying to consolidate recent points finishes, that matters more immediately than any 2027 rumour. Permane’s message was clear: Tsolov is valued, but Racing Bulls’ present focus remains firmly on extracting more from its current line-up in Austria.