Racing Bulls should give the starting place for 2027 to Nikola Zolov, said Helmut Marko. The former advisor at Red Bull Racing, who personally attracted the Bulgarian talent to the academy program for young drivers, explained the team's basic philosophy in an interview with the Austrian publication “Krone“. At the moment, with the exception of Oliver Bearmann's position at Haas, whose official confirmation is considered a formality, only the Racing Bulls' lineup for next season has not yet been announced.
Marko recalled the principles built by the company's founder, emphasizing: “I agree with what Mateschitz said: “We don't buy stars, we create stars“. We have always looked for our own drivers who can win Grand Prix. With a few exceptions, it has worked out.“ The former Austrian driver also revealed his opinion on the upcoming team selection, adding: “In the spirit of this philosophy, the difficult decision between Liam Lawson and Nikola Tsolov at Racing Bulls should actually be in Tsolov's favor“.
The Bulgarian driver is making an impressive debut season in Formula 2 and is fighting for the world title. He was leading the general classification until the race weekend in Baku, Azerbaijan. The championship management and the bosses of Formula 1 continue to claim that the last planned starts in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will take place as scheduled, although the situation in the region remains extremely unstable.
The US State Department has already ordered employees of the US embassy and their families to leave Saudi Arabia due to the constant attacks by the Yemeni Houthis, with only the most necessary personnel remaining in place. There have also been reports of similar orders for the embassies in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Jordan, but Washington has clarified that the measure only applies to Saudi Arabia for now. At the same time, renewed air strikes against Iran are being discussed again, with President Donald Trump recently announcing that he will wait for the mid-term elections in the country before making a final decision.
The final decision on holding the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi continues to be delayed. FIA President Mohammed bin Sulayem assured that the races will take place, noting that his own family is in the Emirates and it means no less to him than the world championship. Despite these words, the holding of the final rounds of the Formula 1 and Formula 2 seasons remains under serious question mark, while Racing Bulls is about to make a key decision about the future of Nikola Tsolov.