Nikola Tsolov believes qualifying P3 at the 2026 Austrian GP leaves him well placed to continue his Formula 2 (F2) championship challenge, despite admitting that he did not fully maximise Campos Racing’s pace.
Tsolov completed a strong Friday for Campos at the Red Bull Ring by qualifying third, 0.186s behind teammate and polesitter Noel León. Alexander Dunne split the two Campos drivers in second.
The Bulgarian had already demonstrated his speed by finishing second to Oliver Goethe in Free Practice. He then joined León at the front during the opening qualifying runs before Rafael Câmara moved provisionally fastest.
León ultimately claimed pole with a 1:15.544 after completing his decisive lap on an otherwise empty circuit. Tsolov improved to a 1:15.730 during the final runs, securing third behind Dunne and completing a Campos one-three.
Tsolov admits he left time on the table
The Campos driver has previously performed strongly at the Red Bull Ring and once again showed immediate pace in Spielberg.
He also took encouragement from the way Campos managed its tyres during Free Practice. However, rapidly improving track conditions surprised him when qualifying began.
“Yeah, it was close. Obviously, also FP was really nice. We had good pace and we managed to hold on to the tyres for longer than the others, which was a good sign already for race pace.”
“But then going into qualifying, the track improvement was massive, which I didn’t expect, but it felt really good as well. I think the car was really nice, like León said, quite on rails.”
“I would say on my side, I didn’t quite maximise it as much as I could today. But in the end, it’s still a P3, which obviously sets us up well for both races, which is important for the championship.”
“So, I’m looking forward to more, obviously, but I think we’re on the right path.”
Although Tsolov felt pole remained within reach, he recognised the value of another strong starting position. His third-place result continued his record of qualifying inside the top 10 at every round of the season.
León’s alternative strategy delivers pole
Campos adopted different approaches with its two drivers during the middle of the F2 Qualifying session ad the Austrian GP.
While Tsolov followed the more conventional qualifying programme, León remained alone on track and completed his final run before the rest of the field left the pits. The strategy gave the Mexican clean air but denied him a tow on Spielberg’s long straights.
Tsolov revealed that he had not known his teammate would follow an alternative plan. He praised León for delivering under pressure but explained why he preferred a less risky strategy.
“Well, I think it is a bit of a risk doing what he did. I wasn’t aware he was going to do it, but obviously it paid off and he really did a really good lap.”
“So, he put everything together, which was quite impressive. But on the other hand, I think there was no point for us to risk as much because, just looking at the championship, you need consistent results.”
“And obviously, taking pole today or being P3, it can be better, but it’s still a really good place we can be at.”
His comments reflected a measured approach to the weekend. Tsolov wanted pole, but he did not believe chasing it justified compromising a position that already gave him a strong opportunity to score heavily.
Heat makes tyre management crucial
Tsolov expects tyre degradation to play a major role during the races, with high temperatures increasing the punishment for mistakes and excessive sliding.
The Sprint Race’s afternoon start could make Saturday particularly demanding. Tsolov therefore plans to use the shorter race to understand the tyres while avoiding incidents and penalties.
“Yeah, I think a similar approach. As Alex [Dunne] said, just keep it clean. Don’t pick up any penalties and just take a couple of points if possible.”
“Understand how the tyres work because I think it’s going to be a tough race, probably tougher than on Sunday, because we’re doing 2 p.m. It’s going to be very warm. The tyre degradation is going to be a big factor.”
“So, it will be interesting to see how it plays out. And, yeah, it’s all to play for.”
Campos’ long-run performance in practice gave Tsolov confidence, but the changing conditions will require him to adapt throughout each stint.
Tsolov favours execution over perfection
The Red Bull Ring’s short lap often produces closely matched qualifying sessions, making communication and traffic management particularly important.
However, Tsolov explained that F2 qualifying feels less chaotic than the sessions he experienced during his Formula 3 career. That allows him to concentrate more closely on delivering a complete lap.
“Obviously, communication and traffic management are quite important. But at the same time, in F2, it’s a bit less chaotic than what I’ve experienced in F3.”
“So, it’s a little bit easier to manage it on that side. But, you know, as a driver, you mostly want to put a good lap together rather than try and go for all you can in one lap.”
“So, maybe that’s why I haven’t got pole this year, but this has been my approach so far.”
That philosophy aligns with Tsolov’s wider championship strategy. Rather than repeatedly exceeding the limit while pursuing a perfect lap, he has prioritised placing the car near the front and creating regular scoring opportunities.
León provides Tsolov’s strongest teammate challenge
León’s pole also demonstrated the strength of the competition within Campos.
Pit Debrief asked Tsolov whether he enjoyed having such a quick teammate and how their rivalry had helped the team progress during the season.
“From my side, obviously, it’s great to have Noel as a teammate, and, you know, since day one he’s been showing that he’s been really fast and has been pushing me a lot over winter testing as well.”
“Probably the teammate I’ve been pushed the most by in my career, I would say, because his raw pace is very good.”
“So, I think we work well together, and obviously we’ve been getting closer as the season develops. I think that’s also helping the team to do some tweaks here and there to develop the car better, and there has obviously been a step from last year in that regard.”
The pair’s competition produced Campos’ strongest possible response in qualifying, with León on pole and Tsolov only two places behind.
Tsolov may feel he failed to extract everything from the car, but third place keeps him firmly in contention for a major result. With Campos showing both qualifying speed and encouraging tyre management, he enters the races focused on converting another competitive starting position into valuable championship points.
