Bulgarian driver Nikola Tsolov delivered a strong debut in Formula 2 at the Qatar Grand Prix after being called up for the final two rounds of the season. Driving for Campos Racing in place of Pepe Marti and teaming up with Arvid Lindblad, the 18-year-old showed quick adaptation and wrapped up his first weekend at this level with points on the board.
Friday: Fast Learning in Practice and an Impressive Qualifying
Nikola’s first laps in the current F2 car came during Friday’s Free Practice session. He finished P18, right behind Lindblad, while getting used to both the car and the Lusail circuit.
“FP was really tough. First time with this car, first time on this track, I had a lot to learn and didn’t really know what to expect,” he said.
His progress was immediate. On the soft tyres in qualifying he posted a 1:36.764, securing P7 and finishing ten places ahead of his teammate.
“Top ten was my target, so seventh for a first qualifying session is a good result,” Nikola added.
Saturday: Fighting for a Podium in the Sprint
In the Sprint Race, Nikola started from fourth on the reverse grid, made an excellent getaway and moved straight into P3, where he stayed until the final lap.
“I stayed in the podium places almost the whole race,” he noted.
A late Safety Car changed the situation. On the restart he struggled with braking performance after higher temperatures behind the Safety Car, and contact with Rafael Villagomez on the final lap sent him briefly off track. He crossed the line in P10.
“It ended badly, unfortunately. But the pace was there and overall it was positive.”
Sunday: Strong Pace and Points in the Feature Race
On Sunday he lined up P7 and immediately gained a place at the start. The first stint on soft tyres was challenging due to high degradation, but an early pit stop and excellent work from the team resulted in the second fastest stop of the race.
The pit exit was judged unsafe and earned a five second penalty, but Nikola described the stop itself as “very good”.
Once on the hard tyres he showed impressive pace and was among the three fastest drivers on the same compound. He finished sixth on the road and seventh after the penalty, scoring six points on debut.
A Positive Debut and Focus on Abu Dhabi
“I felt more ready than I expected. There are so many positives and so much I learned,” Nikola said after the race.
He heads to the final round in Abu Dhabi with confidence that he can deliver an even stronger performance.
Nikola’s first F2 weekend brought challenges, but also clear signs of his potential. He adapted quickly, showed strong pace, and proved that he can compete near the front from the very start of his journey in the championship.
Next up is Abu Dhabi and the chance to put everything learned in Qatar into action.