Marko backs Tsolov over Lawson for Racing Bulls seat

Helmut Marko has backed Nikola Tsolov over Liam Lawson for a Racing Bulls seat next season, saying the choice should follow Red Bull's philosophy of promoting its own drivers.

Speaking to Krone, Marko invoked a saying he attributed to Dietrich Mateschitz: “We don't buy stars, we make stars.” He said Red Bull has always looked for its own drivers capable of winning a grand prix and that, with a few exceptions, the approach has worked.

Tsolov is next in Red Bull's junior pipeline. He finished runner-up in the 2025 F3 championship and is second in the 2026 F2 standings, with two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi still to come if both go ahead.

Lawson, meanwhile, is the leading driver outside Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull in the drivers' standings. He remains comfortably ahead of 10th-placed Pierre Gasly even with the 14 points from his three-race Red Bull stint included; Lawson scored those points just after the summer break while replacing the injured Isack Hadjar. His future at Racing Bulls remained unresolved heading into the season's closing rounds.