Bulgaria's Nikola Tsolov with historic win at his first Formula 2 race

The Bulgarian racing driver Nikola Tsolov delivered a magnificent performance in the Formula 2 race at Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne and secured his first victory.

The 18-year-old Bulgarian racing talent competing for Campos Racing moved to the top of the overall standings after the opening round in Melbourne.

Bulgaria's Tsolov started fifth in the race but drove flawlessly, finishing ahead of Brazilian Rafael Câmara, the reigning Formula 3 champion, and Dutch driver Laurens van Hoepen.

Tsolov started the race very strongly, moving up from fifth to third place. The Bulgarian driver quickly closed in behind Alex Dunne, who had also made an excellent start and had moved into second place behind his teammate Martinius Stenshorne. Dunne and Stenshorne collided on the third lap, which worked to Tsolov’s advantage, allowing him to take the lead.

Dunne had prepared an attack and overtook his teammate, but then braked earlier than expected, and Stenshorne crashed into him. Both drivers were forced to retire from the race. A safety car was immediately deployed. Tsolov reacted calmly and followed the incident between Dunne and Stenshorne closely, which helped him move into first place.

Tsolov dominated the race at Albert Park and opened a gap of more than two seconds over second-placed Câmara by the end.

“I was daydreaming and also seeing in my sleep about what happened today,” Tsolov said immediately after the race.

He also added that Campos Racing feels like his family. “We became champions in Formula 4 and won the team title in FIA Formula 3 Championship. I want to share every moment with Campos and Red Bull,” the racing driver said.

The FIA Formula 2 Championship season is scheduled to continue in Bahrain in mid-April, although it is still unclear whether the race will take place due to the situation in the Middle East.

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Edited by R. Petkova