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Campos Racing’s Nikola Tsolov delivered a masterclass in defensive driving to claim his second victory of the season, fending off fierce challenges from Laurens van Hoepen and Alexander Dunne in a highly entertaining Miami Sprint Race.
In a dramatic three-way battle for the lead on the final lap, Tsolov executed the perfect exit at the penultimate corner to secure the win. Van Hoepen crossed the line to claim his second podium of the year for TRIDENT, successfully holding off Rodin Motorsport’s Dunne, who completed the podium in third.
Starting from pole position, Tsolov made a flawless getaway, maintaining his advantage over van Hoepen on the run down to Turn 1. Behind them, Oliver Goethe suffered a disastrous start, plummeting from third to ninth by the end of the opening lap.
Further down the order, Colton Herta was on the move. The driver executed a bold maneuver down the inside of John Bennett at Turn 16, elevating himself to P13.
By the end of Lap 2, the leading quartet of Tsolov, van Hoepen, Joshua Duerksen, and Nico Varrone had broken the tow to Dunne in fifth. The pressure at the front was immediate, with Tsolov forced into a defensive posture into Turn 17.
As the race progressed, the battle intensified. Duerksen initiated the first major move among the leaders, diving down the inside of van Hoepen at Turn 17 after the TRIDENT driver suffered a slide exiting the previous corner. However, van Hoepen quickly retaliated, reclaiming second place by Lap 6 after the Invicta driver went too deep at Turn 15.
On Lap 9, a slight moment from Tsolov at the Turn 14 chicane allowed van Hoepen to close right onto his gearbox. Yet, the Campos driver showcased immense composure, firmly shutting the door at Turn 17.
The Bulgarian's resistance was eventually broken at the end of Lap 13, as van Hoepen executed a brilliant move around the outside to snatch the lead. The top two quickly pulled a two-second gap over the chasing pack, where Duerksen and Varrone were locked in a fierce battle for third, with Dunne rapidly closing in on the podium fight.
Tsolov was not done, however. By the end of Lap 15, he reclaimed the lead with a decisive move down the inside at Turn 17. Meanwhile, Dunne began his charge, dispatching Varrone for fourth.
The lead changed hands multiple times as the powerful DRS zones came into play. Van Hoepen utilized the system to pass into Turn 11, only for Tsolov to strike back a few corners later. This relentless battling allowed Duerksen and Dunne to bridge the gap, turning the duel into a multi-car scrap.
Dunne attempted a bold dive on Duerksen at Turn 1 on Lap 18 but ran deep, allowing the Paraguayan to retain the position. This squabble dropped them 2.6 seconds behind the leading duo and formed a massive DRS train, with Duerksen heading a pack that included Dunne, Varrone, Martinius Stenshorne, Gabriele Minì, Dino Beganovic, and Noel León.
The Irishman eventually made his move stick, diving down the inside of Duerksen at the popular Turn 17 to secure third.
At the front, Tsolov remained a tough obstacle. Despite van Hoepen receiving the hurry-up call over the TRIDENT team radio and launching an attack at Turn 17, the Campos rookie held his nerve.
As the final lap began, the tension reached its peak. Van Hoepen, trailing by just 0.2 seconds, used DRS to sweep around the outside at Turn 11 and take the lead. But Tsolov, armed with DRS down the back straight, retaliated with a daring dive down the inside at Turn 17. With Dunne suddenly alongside them, the trio engaged in a breathtaking three-way battle to the line.
Maximizing his traction out of the final corner, the Campos driver powered to the line to seal his second win of the season. Van Hoepen narrowly held off Dunne for second, while Varrone executed a late move on Duerksen to snatch fourth. Stenshorne crossed the line in sixth, ahead of Minì, with Beganovic claiming the final point in eighth.
Reflecting on his triumph, Tsolov highlighted the physical and tactical demands of the race.
"The race was really tough, probably the toughest physically, everyone struggled quite a lot, but I was well prepared," Tsolov remarked. "It was very exciting because the DRS zones were very powerful, there was an opportunity to overtake every lap, and every straight. It was intense, was tough, but I am glad to come away with the win, just at the last corner. So I suggest everyone go watch the race and enjoy it."
With this victory, Nikola Tsolov extends his lead at the summit of the Drivers' Championship, now sitting on 35 points. Laurens van Hoepen climbs to second, nine points adrift. Rafael Câmara holds third with 18 points, marginally ahead of his Invicta Racing teammate Joshua Duerksen on 15 points, while Hitech’s Ritomo Miyata rounds out the top five with 14 points.
In the Teams’ Standings, Campos Racing maintains their dominance with 43 points, followed by Invicta Racing on 33. TRIDENT sits third with 26 points, closely trailed by MP Motorsport on 21 and Hitech on 20.
Sunday’s Feature Race is next on the agenda, with the drivers set to go wheel-to-wheel in Miami one final time at 12:30 local time.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
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