Wow Moment for Bulgaria! Nikola Tsolov Wins His First Formula 2 Race

Bulgarian racing talent Nikola Tsolov opened the 2026 Formula 2 season with a major achievement, taking victory in the main race at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne. Competing for Campos Racing, the 18-year-old secured his first triumph in the championship and moved to the top of the overall standings after the opening round.

The race began with Tsolov starting from fifth position on the grid. Over the course of the event, however, he steadily worked his way forward. Taking advantage of incidents ahead of him and two race restarts, the Bulgarian driver managed to move into the leading positions and maintain strong pace throughout the contest.

At a decisive moment on lap 22, Tsolov overtook Nicolas Varrone and quickly established control of the race. From that point onward he remained at the front, ultimately crossing the finish line after 33 laps with a margin of around 1.6 seconds over his closest rival.

Brazilian driver Rafael Camara finished second, while Dutch competitor Laurens van Hoepen secured third place. The top five was completed by Oliver Goethe and Ritomo Miyata, while several other drivers also collected points, including Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak, Colton Herta, Gabriele Mini, Sebastian Montoya and sprint race winner Joshua Dürksen. Varrone, who had been involved in the battle for the lead, dropped down the order after receiving a penalty and was classified 17th.

The victory allowed Tsolov to quickly put behind him the disappointment from the sprint race earlier in the weekend, where he finished outside the points in 17th place. Despite that setback, his strong performance in the feature race demonstrated impressive progress and consistency.

With the win in Melbourne, the Bulgarian now leads the Formula 2 standings with 25 points. Camara follows with 18 points, while van Hoopen occupies third place with 17.

For Tsolov, this success carries additional significance. The Melbourne race marked only his third official Formula 2 start, following two appearances in the previous season. The triumph therefore represents an exceptional beginning to his first full campaign in the series.

After the race, the Bulgarian driver said he had believed he could deliver a strong result despite the difficult start to the weekend. He admitted that the previous day had been disappointing, but that he approached the race convinced he could recover.

According to Tsolov, his start was solid, though the first corner brought contact between cars ahead of him. From that point on he focused on maintaining pace and controlling the race. When the safety car period reshuffled the order and Varrone briefly moved ahead, the Bulgarian knew he needed to regain the position quickly to protect his tires and secure the lead.

Tsolov explained that the opportunity came when Varrone made a mistake at the first corner, allowing him to attack and retake the position. Once back in front, he was confident he could remain the fastest driver on the track.

The Bulgarian also expressed gratitude to his long-time team Campos Racing, describing the outfit as his racing family. He highlighted their previous successes together, including a Formula 4 championship and a team title in Formula 3, and said he hopes to continue sharing achievements with both Campos and the Red Bull development program.

The next round of the Formula 2 season is scheduled for Bahrain in April, although its status remains uncertain due to tensions in the Middle East. A three-day test session planned for March 25–27 at the Sakhir circuit is also under question.

If both the Bahrain and the following Saudi Arabia rounds were to be cancelled, the championship would not resume until early June with the races in Monaco. Regardless of the calendar uncertainty, Tsolov’s victory in Australia has already placed him at the top of the standings and marked a remarkable start to the season.