Nikola Tsolov refuses to settle despite F2 championship lead

Tsolov leads, but sees room to improve

Nikola Tsolov enters the summer break at the top of the 2026 Championship standings, yet the Campos Racing driver insists his campaign has been far from perfect. Six race victories have given him a 20-point advantage over Gabriele Minì, but recent setbacks in Spa and Budapest have underlined how quickly the title picture can change.

Tsolov attributes his position to the work carried out during the off-season and behind the scenes. More importantly, he believes the difficult opening phase of the year helped both driver and team understand how to respond when performance was not immediately available.

“Overcoming those tough moments in the beginning of the year I think has made us stronger, made us understand everything better,” Tsolov said. “Everything that's in our control we try to manage it.”

The Bulgarian does not view his recent run as the limit of what Campos can achieve. “Even though it almost feels like it cannot go much better, I do feel like there's more for me and the team to improve together,” he added.

Silverstone set the benchmark

Silverstone remains the standout weekend of Tsolov’s season so far. He swept both races and secured three consecutive victories earlier in the season, setting a new Championship record in the process.

The result was built on a qualifying performance that appeared stronger in context than the fifth-place starting position suggested. Tsolov and Campos had feared they might be outside the top ten at one stage, making fifth a result the driver considered highly encouraging.

“It's about maximising the weekend, which I think we were the only ones to really do it,” he explained. “I was quite happy honestly with fifth.”

Campos then made a major positive change to the car for the races, a pattern Tsolov says the team has increasingly identified throughout the year. That growing understanding could prove important as the championship resumes, with Minì and Rafael Câmara still firmly in contention. The wider title context is also reflected in the Formula 2 championship fight after the summer break.

A measured approach

Tsolov’s response to the recent losses of momentum has been notably controlled. Since Monaco, he says, he has focused on the bigger championship picture rather than trying to win every session and every race.

“It's not about winning every race. It's about scoring the most points over the whole championship,” he said. Learning from Minì, Câmara and his own weaknesses has become part of that process. Tsolov now sees development and learning as personal strengths—and plans to carry that approach through the rest of the season.

Tsolov leads, but sees room to improve