Weekend Recap: Nikola Tsolov Makes F2 History With Silverstone Double

Nikola Tsolov delivered his best Formula 2 weekend yet at Silverstone, taking victory in both the Sprint Race and the Feature Race and becoming the first driver in FIA Formula 2 history to win three races in a row.

After winning the Feature Race in Austria one week earlier, Nikola carried that momentum straight into the British Grand Prix weekend. What followed was a rare double victory, a return to the top of the championship, and another clear sign that the work behind the scenes is turning into something very special.

Friday: Lacking Pace, But Delivering Under Pressure

Coming into the weekend, Nikola and Campos Racing knew Silverstone might be more difficult than some of the previous rounds. The team expected to have to work harder to find the right balance, especially through the high-speed sections.

“Coming into the race weekend, we knew that we were going to struggle a little bit more than at other tracks and that it was going to be difficult,” Nikola explained. “Because of that, we really worked hard and analysed what we needed to improve.”

The team made changes ahead of Free Practice and Qualifying, but Friday still did not fully meet expectations. The pace was not where Nikola wanted it to be, yet he still produced one of his best laps of the season when it mattered most.

“I would say my qualifying lap was the best single lap I’ve done during the whole year. If I had to put one at number one, I would put that one there,” he said. “I was delivering under pressure, put everything together and turned everything nicely through the high speed.”

That lap put Nikola P5 on the grid for Sunday’s Feature Race, while also placing him sixth for the reversed-grid Sprint Race.

Saturday: From P6 to Victory in the Sprint

Heading into Saturday, the target was simple: move forward, score well and learn more about the car after the team had made further changes overnight.

“I was looking at doing a top five,” Nikola said. “We made some aggressive changes on the car to see if they would work for Sunday.”

The start immediately put him in the fight. From sixth on the grid, Nikola made a great launch and quickly moved into the top three. From there, he continued to build his race carefully, using the opening phase to understand the car and manage the tyres.

Once he reached second, the focus was initially on taking the points and bringing the car home. But as the race went on, Nikola’s tyre management began to make the difference.

“I just wanted to finish the race there, score the points and learn a lot more about the car,” he said. “But we managed to save the tyres better, passed my championship rival, and won the race.”

That championship rival was Gabriele Minì, who led for most of the Sprint. Nikola kept the pressure on, closed in during the final laps, and when Minì locked up at the start of the last lap, Nikola was ready.

With DRS down the Wellington Straight, he made the move for the lead and brought the car home to take his fifth win of the season. The result also moved him back to the top of the championship, level on points with Minì but ahead on wins.

“It was a fantastic day,” Nikola said. “Obviously we retook the championship lead as well.”

Sunday: Patience, Racecraft and the Silverstone Double

After Saturday’s win, Nikola went into Sunday’s Feature Race with more confidence in the car and a clear plan. Conditions were slightly cooler, so the team made small adjustments but stayed with the normal strategy.

“Going into Sunday, I had the confidence that we had the car underneath me,” Nikola explained. “We made that step forward, then adjusted slightly to the conditions because it was a little bit cooler. We didn’t want to risk, so we went with the normal strategy.”

Starting from P5, Nikola made another excellent launch. Polesitter Rafael Câmara and Alexander Dunne struggled away from the front row, while Kush Maini jumped into the lead from third. Nikola also gained immediately, climbing to second by the first corner.

From there, he stayed patient. Maini built a gap in the early laps, but Nikola kept himself in the fight and managed the first stint before the leaders switched to the harder tyre.

“I was running in P2 for most of the race, just staying patient,” he said. “Once I saw the opportunity, I took it again for the lead.”

That opportunity came after a long battle with Maini. Nikola tried around the outside at Stowe and then looked to the inside at Vale, but Maini defended well. A lap later, Nikola produced the decisive move, attacking through the high-speed Maggotts and Becketts section to take the net race lead.

From that moment, the focus shifted to control. Nikola had to manage his tyres, keep the pace strong, and make sure the drivers on the alternative strategy did not come back into play late in the race.

“From then on I was managing the tyres and managing the alternative strategy people, so they didn’t overtake us by the end of the race,” he said.

Rafael Villagómez charged through late on with fresher tyres and eventually finished second, with Maini completing the podium in third. But Nikola had already built enough of a gap and crossed the line first to complete a superb Silverstone double.

A Historic Weekend and a Championship Statement

With victory on both Saturday and Sunday, Nikola completed his strongest Formula 2 weekend so far. More than that, he became the first driver in FIA Formula 2 history to win three consecutive races, following his Austria Feature Race win with both victories at Silverstone.

“For me it’s an amazing achievement,” Nikola said. “It’s a hat-trick of wins, which is the first time it ever happens in Formula 2. We really are doing something very, very special this year.”

The result puts Nikola into the sole lead of the Drivers’ Championship with 141 points, 17 clear of Gabriele Minì. Campos Racing also continues to lead the Teams’ Championship, underlining just how strong the partnership has become.

But for Nikola, the biggest message from Silverstone was not just the trophies. It was proof that the work being done away from the cameras is paying off.

“That all just shows that the work we’ve been putting in behind the scenes really pays off,” he said. “We’re heading in the right direction.”

After Austria and Silverstone, the momentum is fully with Nikola. Next up is Spa, with one more double-header before the summer break and another chance to keep building on a historic run of form.