Nikola Tsolov delivered a memorable weekend at the Australian Grand Prix, turning a difficult Saturday into a historic Sunday victory. After showing strong pace from the very beginning of the weekend, the Bulgarian driver kept his composure through setbacks and became the first Bulgarian race winner in Formula 2.
It was also a personal milestone for Nikola, who arrived in Melbourne determined to finally break what he jokingly called his “Melbourne curse.”
Friday: Strong Preparation and Competitive Pace
Nikola arrived in Australia confident after extensive preparation with the team.
“Coming into the weekend I had confidence, because I prepared a lot on simulator work and with the engineers to make sure I was completely ready for the round that has probably been the most difficult for me in the past,” he explained.
That preparation immediately showed on track. The car felt strong from the start of Free Practice, giving Nikola an important boost heading into qualifying.
“The car felt really good in free practice already, much better than during the test. That gave me even more confidence going into qualifying.”
Qualifying: Strong Pace Despite Setback
Qualifying confirmed the pace. Nikola dominated the first run and went quickest by almost four tenths of a second, looking like a serious contender for pole position.
Unfortunately the second run did not unfold cleanly. A messy out lap involving several drivers forced Nikola onto the grass and disrupted the preparation for his final push lap.
“Set 1 was really strong and I managed to go fastest by almost four tenths. But on the second run there was a bit of a scrap between a few of us starting the lap. I had to drive on the grass and everything got quite messy. I couldn’t get a clean lap in traffic.”
Despite the disruption he still secured a solid P5 on the grid.
Saturday: A Difficult Sprint Race
Starting sixth in the Sprint Race, Nikola initially looked well placed to fight near the front. However a series of small incidents and unlucky positioning dropped him into the midfield.
While trying to avoid trouble he ended up in a vulnerable position and contact from Herta spun him around, dropping him down the order to P17 by the finish.
“It was just bad timing and a bit of bad luck. I think by trying to be extra cautious I put myself in positions that weren’t ideal. In the end it was a really tough day.”
Sunday: Composure, Control and a Historic Win
Sunday’s Feature Race required a complete reset. Starting fifth, Nikola immediately made an excellent launch and jumped into third place within the opening corners.
From there the race quickly began to unfold in his favour. The two Rodin cars ahead of him collided while battling for the lead, allowing Nikola to take control of the race.
A Safety Car phase briefly shuffled the order when Varrone emerged from the pit stop phase ahead on fresh tyres. But Nikola remained calm and decisive.
On the restart he wasted no time retaking the lead with a clean and confident move, then managed the race perfectly to the finish.
“I just had a good start and the race started to unfold my way. Once I took the lead I focused on managing the gap. I knew the DRS was very powerful, so I tried to keep the car behind outside the DRS window, manage the tyres, execute the pit stop and restart well. That’s exactly what we managed to do.”
With strong pace, controlled tyre management and flawless execution in the final stages, Nikola crossed the line to secure his first Formula 2 victory.
A Mental Victory and a Historic Moment
For Nikola, the win was as much about resilience as it was about speed.
“After Saturday I really had to reset and stay focused. Managing to do that was the biggest win for me. The result was just the consequence of that.”
The victory also marks a historic milestone as Nikola becomes the first Bulgarian driver to win a Formula 2 race.
With confidence now building and momentum on his side, he leaves Melbourne eager for what comes next.
“For sure this gives a lot of confidence heading into the rest of the year. I’m really excited for the next round.”