Liam Lawson kept waiting as Racing Bulls seat rival handed latest F1 test

Formula 2 title contender Nikola Tsolov will again take to the wheel of F1 machinery this week, RacingNews365 has learned.

Tsolov will take part in a TPC test at the Hungaroring this Wednesday and Thursday, driving an older Honda-powered car.

Budapest is currently experiencing wet and fairly cold conditions, but that is not expected to get in the way of the test going ahead.

Bulgarian Tsolov continues to be linked with a seat at Racing Bulls for next season following his rise through the junior formulae and push for the F2 crown this year.

He goes into the final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi trailing Rafael Camara by seven points. Camara made his F1 debut on home soil in Brazil at the weekend with Haas, and will be on the grid permanently with the team next season.

Whilst there has been speculation that Lawson will be retained by Racing Bulls for next season, the wait continues for the team to make an announcement.

Lawson and Arvid Lindblad have formed a strong pairing for the Faenza-based squad this season, delivering the points that leaves the team on the brink of its highest finish in the constructors' championship in its history of fifth.

But whether both drivers will remain at Red Bull's sister team next year is still an open question, with Tsolov very much in the mix. RacingNews365 sources have indicated that no final call has yet been made.

The immediate decision facing Racing Bulls is whether Tsolov or Lawson gets the nod for 2027. But even if the Bulgarian misses out on a permanent F1 seat next year, the plan within Red Bull's driver pool is reportedly to keep him involved regardless.

He is understood to be in line to become Racing Bulls' third driver, with more frequent outings in first practice sessions and TPC tests lined up for him across the season.