"Three doesn't fit into two," admits Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane as he says that a decision on the 2027 line-up is weeks away.

While it would appear that both Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad have done more than enough to retain their seats, the issue, as ever, is clouded by numerous other factors, not just driver talent.

Currently second in the F2 championship, Bulgarian Nikola Tsolov is attracting a lot of attention.

A former member of the Alpine Affiliate programme, twenty-four hours after being promoted to the Alpine Academy the youngster announced that he was joining the Red Bull Junior Team.

Earlier this year the Spanish media reported that he would be racing for RB in 2027 but this was subsequently denied by the Faenza-based outfit.

However, he subsequently made his F1 debut when he completed a Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) test at Imola, having previously driven a Red Bull RB8 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Not for the first time, Red Bull's sister outfit is enjoying an embarrassment of riches, which is clearly not making the team's job any easier.

Asked when an announcement might be forthcoming, Permane told reporters: "I don't want to give you a definite date...

"It's going to be in the coming weeks, let's say," he added. "I mean, we're in no rush. I think everyone knows we've got two fantastic drivers. We've got a fantastic driver in F2 at the moment, and they're all there and ready to go. But three doesn't fit into two, of course, and we're just going to take a little bit more time and make sure we get the right pairing for next year."

Asked what the criteria is, he replied: "There's many, many, many things.

"I guess top of the list is speed and pace and all that goes with that," he admitted. "But there's lots, of course, in the background because we're in a slightly unique situation, I guess.

"We want to bring on young drivers, we want to bring on young talent, and of course we have one eye on them progressing in the future. So, it's not just about the here and now, it's also about what they can do in the future."