Nikola Tsolov described his recovery to second place in Feature Race 2 at the 2026 F2 Azerbaijan GP as “more than a win” after bouncing back in Baku from a difficult run of races. The Campos Racing driver started the final race of the weekend from 11th on the grid but worked his way through the field as an alternative strategy brought him into contention at the front.
Tsolov eventually crossed the line in second behind championship rival Rafael Câmara, while Alex Dunne completed the podium after a five-second penalty dropped him from first on the road to third in the final classification. The result of Feature Race 2 provided an important turnaround for Tsolov after a challenging weekend in Baku, which included a retirement from Feature Race 1.
Tsolov proud of Campos turnaround in Baku
Speaking during the F2 post-Feature Race 2 press conference in Baku, attended by Pit Debrief, Tsolov admitted the previous rounds had been difficult for both himself and Campos. However, he took particular satisfaction from the work the team had done to turn its weekend around.
“Yeah, overall, I’m pleased with the result, but I’m more pleased with what we did. To be honest, it’s been a tough couple of rounds and especially this weekend, we didn’t have the pace at all. Starting the sprint from pole and usually whenever we’re in top three, top five, we’re fighting for the win. And it’s been really hard on me, hard on the team. But to be honest, we never gave up. That’s what I’m really proud of.”
“All the hard work we’ve put in to improve the car every round, to improve the car, especially this weekend and the step we’ve made. For me, this is more than a win. Personally, this is a fight with ourselves that we’ve been doing and we’ve overcome it. And we’ve overcome a lot of tough moments this year. So I’m just really proud of what we’ve done as a team and I’m happy to be here.”
Staying out under the VSC pays off
Strategy played a crucial role in Tsolov’s recovery. Several Virtual Safety Car (VSC) periods presented opportunities to make his mandatory stop, but the timing repeatedly prevented him from taking advantage. Instead, Tsolov extended his opening stint on the supersoft tyres. The decision eventually put him in a much stronger position than he initially expected.
“I mean, we were really prepared to pit every time there was a VSC, but I ended up just passing the pit entry line every time that it wasn’t still out when I was on track. So it was just a situation, and I thought, to be honest, we would lose our time. But in the end, we were really fast in the super soft on the first stint.”
“So I think staying out, gave us that advantage to extend while cooling down the tyres and having better grip. And then I was really surprised when they told me, oh, it’s looking good. You know, you’re coming out. We’re P5 virtually. I was like, oh, we’re actually in the fight. So at this point, I was pretty happy to hear that. And then, just building on, I had a lot of pace, and, you know, I try and catch these two guys. It was difficult, but I managed to arrive in the end.”
Tsolov believed victory could be within reach
Tsolov continued to close the gap during the final stages and passed Martinius Stenshorne for third before setting his sights on Dunne and Câmara. With Dunne struggling and Câmara moving into DRS range of the Rodin Motorsport driver, Tsolov briefly believed he could join the fight for victory. However, overtaking around Baku remained difficult despite his pace.
“Maybe five laps to go, but I thought they were a bit too far to catch. And then when Alex started to struggle a little bit more, Rafa got the DRS. So at that point, I thought it was going to be a little harder, even if I would end up catching them.”
“I thought it would be hard to pass Rafa just because passing Martinius [Stenshorne], that was much slower without DRS, was very difficult. So I knew it was going to be really tough. And I just kind of accepted both situations.“
“At that point, I was prepared for everything. But obviously, deep inside of me, I always pushed to get that last bit. And, you know, obviously with Rafa, I was going to risk a little more to overtake if it came to that point.”
Qualifying remains an area to improve
While Tsolov demonstrated his race pace with his recovery drive during F2 Feature Race 2 in Baku, qualifying has proved more challenging during the second half of the season. Asked why he had struggled to match the qualifying performances of his championship rivals, Tsolov admitted Campos still lacked the final margin required over one lap.
“Yeah, I mean, if I really had the answer, I would change that. But in the end, I think they’ve been a little bit better than what on average until now everyone has done in F2. I think being on the front row almost every weekend is just, I mean, before the season, someone will tell you that’s not possible because I think my average is better than anyone that has won the championship previously or the best qualifier. They’ve just been really, really impressive in quali. So that’s been making my life a little bit difficult. But yeah, I think there is something that we’re missing to really find that last bit in quali.”
Tsolov admits he could take more risks in qualifying
However, Tsolov also pointed towards his own approach as one possible reason for the gap. With strong starting positions often enough to put him in contention for victories, he explained that he had avoided taking unnecessary risks in qualifying.
“And yeah, I mean, the only weekend that I really did feel like we could properly put it on pole was Monaco and Red Bull Ring. Red Bull Ring was done by my teammate. And also, you know, being the championship leader, I never really took that risk to gain that one or two tenths in the end because usually when we’re in top three or top five, we end up fighting for the win.”
“So that was always my approach going into quali. I never fully risked it, but I know I’m capable of going fast in one lap and maybe that’s what I’m missing. Maybe I need to risk a little bit more, but yeah, you know, it is what it is so far. And if that’s what I need, I’ll try and change it for the future.”
Tsolov remains uncertain over 2027 plans
Alongside his F2 title challenge, questions remain over Tsolov’s plans for next season and a potential future move to Formula 1. The Bulgarian revealed that he still has no clarity over what 2027 will hold, although he believes his preparations have put him in a position to step up if an opportunity emerges.
“Unfortunately, I have no clue what’s going on next year. As much as you would like to know, I would like to know too what the plan is. But obviously, they’re taking good care of me and they’ve been preparing me for the step if needed.”
“You know, I did a test. I think that went really well. And yeah, still, there’s no clarity to what’s going on next year. But whatever it is, I’m always giving my best and I think I do deserve the chance to have a seat one day. And, you know, I’ll work as hard as I can to get that.”
Campos’ late-night work transforms race pace
Tsolov had not expected to challenge for the podium heading into the F2 Feature Race 2 in Baku. Following a difficult Friday, Campos spent significant time analysing its rivals and searching for improvements ahead of the final race. The work transformed Tsolov’s expectations, with the Bulgarian admitting that a top-five result had initially represented the upper end of what he thought possible.
“Yeah, on my side I think yesterday was a tough day. We spent the whole day really analysing everything and looking at the others, what they were having as issues, what was really strong on their side. We stayed up late trying to analyse everything, which I think gave us the pace we had today, but I never really thought we would be that quick, flip things around completely.”
“I think a lot of it comes from the car, a lot of it from me, so everything really clicked today. I think the philosophy of all three teams is quite different to setting up the car, which is very interesting to see, but we just focused on what we have and how we can maximise our own package, because we didn’t really have time to completely flip everything. We did that and I thought for sure it would be better.”
“I was hoping to finish P6, P7, P5 maybe in a really good race, but we ended up barely fighting for the win, we were on the podium, so I would say much better than we expected. I’m really happy and proud, like I said earlier, with what we’ve done.”
Wall contact brings Tsolov “back to reality” during F2 Feature Race 2 in Baku
Tsolov’s pursuit of the leaders did not come without risk. As he focused on reducing the gap ahead, the Campos driver clipped the wall at Turn 11 in the closing stages. Although the impact proved harmless, Tsolov admitted the noise initially left him concerned that he had damaged the car.
“Yeah, on my side I really got into this sort of tunnel, so I wasn’t realising what was going on. I didn’t really follow which place I was in, I was just chopping away at it and at some point it was like three, four laps to the end. I clipped the wall in T11 and I heard like a really loud noise when I hit it and I was just hoping nothing was broken.”
“It was a really light touch, but the noise was loud, so that scared me a little bit, but I think yeah, my steering wheel was still straight, you know, my wing was fine, so yeah, I was lucky to get away with it, but you know, that was really the point where I was like, well, put me back to reality.”
F2 performances remain Tsolov’s focus
With his future beyond the championship yet to be determined, Tsolov believes performing strongly in F2 remains the best way to strengthen his chances of progressing further. He also praised the level that Câmara and Dunne have shown alongside him during the 2026 campaign.
“I definitely hope so. As both of them mentioned, all three of us this year have done a phenomenal job and I think we’ve raised really the level of F2 this year and it’s been more competitive than the last couple of years and, yeah, we all deserve a chance, I would say, and, you know, sometimes it can be down to luck or down to a lot of things outside your control but, you know, on my side I try to do my best and see where I end up in the end. I think doing well in F2 is what’s giving me the best chance.”
“I just want to be this guy that always comes back”
Beyond the points gained in Baku, Tsolov highlighted the mental challenge of continuing to fight after a difficult period. With the championship battle adding further pressure, he said he viewed the setbacks as another challenge to overcome rather than allowing them to derail his campaign.
“It’s been real tough to keep showing up and have the courage to fight back after all that’s happened and, you know, there is a lot of pressure on, there’s pressure on myself and obviously when things aren’t going well it’s really difficult to stay positive but, you know, I just take it as a test that life is giving me and if I manage to get through this then I’m gonna go ahead and achieve something great. So I look at it that way and, yeah, I just want to be this guy that always comes back no matter what, no matter what happens.“
“So that was my courage and, to be honest, I wasn’t really thinking during the race. I have to say I was thinking there’s not much to lose so I was so focused, like I was saying, I was really in my own tunnel, let’s say, and I wasn’t really aware of which place I was in at some point.“
