Campos Racing’s Nikola Tsolov heads into the 2026 season with strong momentum and high hopes, as he makes the step up to F2 full-time after a successful third season in Formula 3, where he finished the year as Vice-Champion. During pre-season testing in Barcelona, the Bulgarian completed 204 laps over three days, posting a best finish of third on the final day.
During a recent virtual media session, Tsolov spoke to Pit Debrief and other media outlets ahead of the season opener, discussing his step up to Formula 2, continuing his career progression with Campos and observing motorsport’s growing popularity in Bulgaria.
The significance of Marko’s exit on the Red Bull Junior Programme
Helmut Marko was the driving force and mastermind behind the team’s prestigious junior programme, which has produced talents such as Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel and many others. Marko’s exit add to the growing list of high-profile figures who have left the team in recent years.
Reflecting on his time with Marko and the moment he learned of his departure, Tsolov said: “Yeah, well, he called me, I think, the day before he was announced he was about to leave. And I was in Abu Dhabi for the test. And he basically told me everything is staying the same way. You still have to perform. You still have to win races. And that’s the number one thing, he said, I did it well last year in Formula 3.”
“And all he’s expecting is for me to do it once again and nothing else will change and really, everything has been pretty much the same way since he left. So he managed to build, let’s say, that structure that still works now, which is good.”
Challenges that come with taking the step up to F2
With two F2 weekends already under his belt, Tsolov heads into the 2026 season opener eager to get racing in Melbourne. “Well, most looking forward, probably just already for Australia.”, he said.
“I want the season to start and I want to see how the car performs. And because in testing is a bit difficult to say, but I think we’re looking pretty decent and competitive so far.”
As for the challenges ahead, nothing will faze him — at least not yet. The 19 year-old said he is still adapting to the car and noted how small margins could either reward or punish him. While he aims to refine his driving and extract the car’s full potential, it will be a process he will continue to work on as the season progresses.
“Afraid, I don’t think I’m afraid of anything right now. I’m just still trying to figure out the perfect way to drive the car. It’s obviously a really strange and difficult car, even comparing to F3 and anything I’ve driven before. It’s very edgy. So there’s a fine line to be quick and I’m going to keep exploring it, I think, throughout the year, throughout the season, because I don’t think you ever get to really perfect it.”
“So that’s going to be my target. And I’m not really afraid of anything at the moment.”
Aiming to build on past success with Campos
Over the past two years, Red Bull Juniors who have thrived in F2 with Campos have earned promotions to Formula 1 with Racing Bulls — Isack Hadjar in 2025 and Arvid Lindblad in 2026. The team has become a proven environment for Red Bull’s juniors to succeed.
When Pit Debrief asked Tsolov whether seeing this track record boosts his confidence in being with the right team to deliver the results needed, he explained: “Yes, definitely. I think historically, like you said, there has been Red Bull Juniors from Campos going into F1. And that definitely gives me confidence that if I perform well, I can have the opportunity as well. Obviously, I think I’m in the right place. And now it’s just up to me and the team doing a good job to perform this year and then everything taken step by step and see how it ends.”
Looking to build on his success with the Spanish outfit, the 19 year-old was part of the team’s F3 championship-winning campaign last year. Continuing with the team but alongside a new teammate, Noel León, Tsolov shared insight into how the team’s dynamic and morale are shaping up ahead of the 2026 F2 season.
He said: “I’m looking forward to it just because I’ve always said Campos is a team, but a family to me. So we’re working very well together, although it’s a completely different team, let’s say engineers, mechanics, etc. I think we still got on well very quickly.”
“And it’s very important to have someone like Noel [León] because he’s really fast. He’s really dedicated. So I think he’s pushing me to be better as well. And that’s quite important for me, especially in the preparation of the year and obviously pushing myself to perform throughout the season.”
Witnessing motorsport’s growing popularity in Bulgaria
On the international stage, Tsolov has been the face of Bulgarian motorsport for several years now. However, the list of emerging Bulgarian talents is growing, including Aleksandra Vateva, who is now competing in the Middle East Porsche Carrera Cup.
Speaking about the sport’s growth in the country, the 19 year-old said: “Yeah, there’s not much history, unfortunately, but it’s growing a lot, the sport in Bulgaria now. I think, after me, a lot of kids have seen that it’s actually possible to reach a top level in motorsport. And they’re starting to believe in themselves, which is the most important part. And they’re really passionate.”
“I see a lot of, you know, karting videos, etc, which haven’t been really popular before. And it’s growing a lot. I think it will keep developing. There’s already, I think, also, apart from Aleksandra [Vateva], there is in F4, two Bulgarians, I believe. So yeah, a couple of years ago, we didn’t have anyone in Formulas at all. So it’s quite fun to see.”
The transition from F3 to F2
Tsolov spent a total of three years in Formula 3 before stepping up to F2. After just one year in F4, the Bulgarian spent most of his formative racing years developing in F3. Reflecting on that time and the value of the experience, Tsolov said: “Yeah, I think it obviously can be quite useful. My whole career is pretty much in single-seater F3, as I only did one year in F4 previous. And yeah, I think I know the Pirelli tyre well. I think I understand how it works, although it’s quite different in F2 once again. But it definitely helps because the structure of the weekend is very similar.”
While adapting to new machinery presents as a new challenge for Tsolov, there are also several new tracks he’ll need to learn, including a brand new venue for the entire grid: Madrid. Although he’d gained experience at Qatar and Abu Dhabi last year, he explained that the transition hasn’t been a major adjustment as he returns to a familiar environment in the paddock.
“In fact, in F3, you get even less driving than in Formula 2, as you pretty much do one push in free practice and then head straight to qualification. So if you don’t know a track, it’s really tough. There’s a few new ones, obviously, for me this year in F2, such as Baku, Jeddah. Actually, I managed to do Qatar and Abu Dhabi, which is quite a decent help.”
“So there will still be a lot of things to adapt to, but still, when I arrive to the paddock, I feel like I’m in the same place as last year, you know. The same everything, literally, in terms of schedule, racing and meetings, it’s almost the same.”
