Formula 1 may have to wait a little longer to see Nikola Tsolov in action during a TL1. Despite a strong start to the Formula 2 season, Racing Bulls does not plan to use the young driver in the mandatory rookie sessions at this time.
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Tsolov appears as one of the contenders for the Formula 2 title after just two rounds in the season. The Red Bull academy driver leads the championship and has already shown consistent progress, especially after winning the main race in Australia.
The Bulgarian recently admitted that he dreams of debuting in Formula 1 as soon as possible, starting precisely with participation in a free practice session: “I definitely want to make my debut in Formula 1 at some point, but that depends on my results,” he told GPblog.
He believes his current performance can accelerate this process: “If I keep performing like this, I should expect something like that to happen soon and I will certainly have the opportunity,” added Tsolov.
According to FIA regulations, each Formula 1 team must provide four TL1 sessions per season for drivers with a maximum of two GPs contested. Combining Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, there would be eight possible opportunities for members of the brand’s young driver program.
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However, according to information from GPblog, Racing Bulls currently has no plans involving Tsolov for these activities. The Italian team, for now, works only with scheduled sessions for Ayumu Iwasa, although there is still no confirmation about which rounds he will take the car.
In addition to participating in TL1 sessions, Iwasa will also regularly act as a test and reserve driver for Racing Bulls in 2026. The Japanese driver will share this role with Yuki Tsunoda, who is also a reserve at Red Bull Racing.
Due to his experience in the category, Tsunoda cannot be used to fulfill the requirement intended for rookies. The Japanese driver has already contested 114 GPs in Formula 1, a number well above the limit established by FIA regulations for mandatory young driver sessions.
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