Nikola Tsolov delivered a mature and controlled drive to claim victory in the F2 Feature Race at the 2026 Australian GP, becoming the first Bulgarian winner in F2 history. The Campos Racing driver navigated a chaotic race with composure, capitalising on an early incident between the Rodin Motorsport teammates to take the lead and never look back.
Capitalising on the chaos
The F2 Australian GP Feature Race was action-packed from the very first lap. Pole-sitter Dino Beganovic tumbled down the order at the start as Rodin Motorsport’s Alexander Dunne and Martinius Stenshorne surged to the front. However, tensions between the two teammates quickly boiled over as they collided heading into Turn 1, sending both into the gravel and handing Tsolov the lead.
The Bulgarian admitted he had seen the incident coming. “The race was a bit messy but I knew that from the start,” he said. “I managed to warm up my tyres pretty well especially for the race start which was really strong and that’s how I managed to get a few positions already.”
“Then after lap one being in third I thought, okay I’ll just stay back and try to see how the race unfolds and what will happen later with the strategy but then obviously the two Rodins were very eager to stay in front and stay ahead of each other, so I let them do their thing which ended up in an incident.”
“I tried to avoid it, I was a little worried that they might take me out too and then once I got to the lead that’s when I felt confident and I just managed my own pace.”
A strategic masterclass
Tsolov’s race management throughout the 2026 F2 Australian GP was equally impressive. A well-timed pit stop from Campos Racing kept him at the front of the field on net, and when a late safety car period briefly handed the lead to Nicolás Varrone, Tsolov reacted immediately and made a bold move down the inside at Turn 1 to reclaim his position.
When asked by Pit Debrief to reflect on the different phases of the race, Tsolov was clear about what had been most critical. “I think all the phases were really important for me. I think the level is really high in F2 so every time you don’t maximise a stint or a part of the race you really pay a price for it.”
“For me the critical moments were when they were really close but not quite within DRS, to try and manage and keep that gap. When I felt they got within I really felt under threat so that’s when I pushed a bit more and extended it to 1.23 seconds, I think that’s my average gap to P2 for most of the race, and whenever I was really much in front it was about tyre saving.”
“So I think all the phases were important in a different way and you had to be really quick when thinking about what to do next because it was quite dynamic.”
A battle with Varrone
On the Varrone situation, Tsolov admitted the incident caught him slightly off guard. “I wasn’t too worried about the alternative strategy people,” he said. “In fact I understood about Varrone just when he was coming out, so I was quite late and was a bit surprised he still was able to stay in front.”
“I think there was a bit of a misunderstanding with the safety car situation and that cost us a little bit of time, but ultimately, I managed to get him straight away on the restart which for me was the most important part and I think that’s what got me in front.”
Making history
With the victory, Tsolov etched his name into the record books as the first Bulgarian driver to win an F2 race. When asked about the significance of the achievement, he was visibly proud.
“Yeah, very proud now that you say it. I think about it and going into the season I didn’t have a doubt that this moment would come, but it’s great to finally realise it and do it on the first round is something I didn’t think of. Especially historically, I’ve said before that Australia hasn’t been nice to me let’s say, although it’s one of my favourite countries, but finally, I managed to overcome that jinx or whatever that is.”
Leading the Championship
The victory also handed Tsolov the lead of the 2026 F2 championship, and the Campos driver was quick to outline his approach for the rest of the season.
“One thing for sure is that I didn’t think I would lead the championship after the first round. I was more kind of wanting to do progress through the year, but it’s good to take the lead because now I can just focus on consistent finishes and staying calm in the races. I don’t have anyone to catch up to in front of me. Obviously, the championship will go up and down. That’s usual but the more consistent you are, looking at last year, the better you’re going to do so that will be my target.”
A generation to watch
Fellow rookies Rafael Câmara and Laurens van Hoepen joined Tsolov on the podium of the 2026 F2 Australian GP Feature Race, continuing a theme of F3 graduates making an immediate impact in F2. Tsolov was warm in his praise for his fellow podium finishers.
“I guess we’re a good generation coming through for sure. I never doubted I would share a podium with Rafa [Câmara], especially because both teams were fighting for the championship last year. On the other hand, Laurens [van Hoepen], I was quite impressed to see him on the podium.”
“I actually had no clue until I looked back after my celebration and saw the Trident so I’m quite happy for him. We used to be teammates in F3 as well. I think hopefully it can keep going that way and we continue our fight with Rafa for the championship like last year because it felt exciting.”
With a victory, a championship lead and a piece of history all secured on the opening weekend, Tsolov has wasted no time in announcing his intentions for the 2026 F2 season.
