Bulgaria's Nikola Tsolov won the Formula 2 feature race in Monaco on Saturday, crossing the line 9 seconds ahead of second-placed Alex Dunne and extending a personal winning streak at the Principality that now spans three consecutive years.
The 19-year-old Campos Racing driver started second on the grid and held position through the opening phase before a decisive pit stop strategy delivered the win. It's a result that matters beyond the result sheet: Tsolov now sits second in the 2026 Formula 2 championship with 52 points, just one point behind leader Gabriele Minì.
Anyone following the Saturday evening racing chat at Shumen's kafenes knows Tsolov's name is already firmly lodged in local motorsport lore. This weekend only added to that.
Tsolov's Rapid Rise
Saturday's win marks Tsolov's third consecutive Monaco triumph across different categories. He won the Formula 3 sprint and main races at the circuit in 2024 and 2025, then carried that form into Formula 2 this year. The track clearly suits him: tight barriers, precision braking, limited margin for error.
Tsolov's progression has been swift. Born in Sofia in 2006, he began karting at age six and moved through junior single-seater categories with unusual speed. His affiliation with the Red Bull Junior Team places him in a pipeline that has previously promoted drivers to Formula 1. The programme identifies promising talent in junior categories and funds their progression through Formula 3 and Formula 2, the final step before the top tier.
Formula 2 uses a spec chassis, meaning every team and driver runs identical machinery. Success depends on driver skill, race craft, and strategy rather than budget or engineering advantage. That levels the field and sharpens the competitive stakes, particularly in a season where a single point now separates first and second in the standings.
The Race
The following race details come from Bulgarian news outlet Novinite.com and have not been independently verified by alternative race coverage or official timing data.
According to the report, Tsolov pitted on lap 32 of the 42-lap race, switching from soft to super-soft tyres. Leader Rafael Camara responded one lap later but reportedly lost pace after rejoining. On lap 34, Camara locked his front-right tyre defending into the first corner and ran into the escape area. There was no contact. Camara's race effectively ended there.
Tsolov inherited provisional first and officially secured the lead after Kush Maini completed his pit stop late in the race. Dino Beganovic finished third, 26.4 seconds behind Tsolov. Beganovic overtook Maini in the chicane following the tunnel on the final lap, though both drivers went off track during the move. Penalties later confirmed Maini fourth, though exact penalty details have not been independently verified.
Martínius Stenshorne finished fifth, followed by Ritomo Miyata, Emerson Fittipaldi Jr., Sebastian Montoya, Noel León, and Roman Bilinski rounding out the points positions. Tsolov also set the fastest lap, a 1:22.444 on lap 37 using the super-soft compound, according to the source report.
The Championship Picture
The victory moves Tsolov to second in the Formula 2 standings, though official FIA confirmation of the updated points table was not available at the time of publication. Championship leader Gabriele Minì reportedly finished 11th in Monaco, keeping the title fight extremely close after four rounds.
Whether Tsolov can sustain this form across the remaining rounds, and whether Red Bull sees enough to promote him further, remains the question. Four rounds into the season, the championship is as tight as anyone expected it to be.
Why This Matters for British Expats
For British motorsport followers in Bulgaria, Tsolov's progression is worth tracking. Formula 2 races support selected Formula 1 weekends, meaning his performances appear on the same bill as the sport's top tier. The series features British drivers competing alongside Tsolov, and the championship battle plays out across circuits familiar to UK audiences.
The next round is reportedly scheduled at Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona, though an exact date has not been confirmed by official sources or independent reporting at the time of publication.