Tsolov strikes in Silverstone sprint showdown
Tsolov levels the F2 championship after a fierce British GP sprint fight, gaining momentum in the Silverstone title battle.
F2 British Grand Prix Sprint: Tsolov Pulls Level With Mini in Title Thriller
The F2 British Grand Prix sprint race at Silverstone delivered exactly the kind of drama the championship needed. Nikola Tsolov won. Gabriele Mini lost ground. And heading into Sunday’s feature race, these two title rivals are now perfectly level on points.
A Last-Lap Move Decides It
Tsolov defeated F2 championship rival Gabriele Mini in a thrilling battle for victory in the sprint race at Silverstone, taking the chequered flag just 1.2 seconds ahead of the MP Motorsport driver after a last-lap overtake. It was a race-long battle between the two, and it went right down to the wire.
On Lap 17, Tsolov made yet another lunge for the lead, however, the Alpine junior kept him behind once more, defending brilliantly against his Red Bull counterpart. Mini looked like he might hold on. He didn’t.
Rafael Villagomez rounded out the podium in the British Grand Prix support race, for a second successive trip to the rostrum in the shorter F2 race. Kush Maini and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak came home in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Dino Beganovic, Roman Bilinski and Joshua Durksen completed the points-paying positions, whilst Rafael Camara took the extra point for setting the fastest lap of those who finished in the top 10 during the 21-lap race.
A Safety Car Early On
A safety car was deployed on Lap 2 when John Bennett and Sebastian Montoya came together at the end of the first lap. That bunched up the field and reset the race. When the green flag flew again, Mini held his lead into Turn 1. But it was only delaying the inevitable.
Championship Standings Now Dead Level
Tsolov, who is heavily linked with a move to Racing Bulls in F1, pulled level with Mini in the standings, taking top spot on countback with more victories. That is a massive swing in momentum heading into the feature race on Sunday.
Before this weekend, the title fight was already razor-thin. Tsolov’s victory ensured that the championship would be dead even heading into the longer feature race. It is the best possible scenario for fans of close racing.
The Bulgarian shares the longest active scoring streak with Alex Dunne at five consecutive races, going back to the Monte Carlo feature race. Camara sits third in the standings, two points ahead of Dunne, 82 points versus 80 for the Irishman.
Camara on Pole for the Feature Race
While all eyes were on the title fight, it is actually Rafael Camara who will lead the field on Sunday. Camara stormed to pole position for the F2 feature race at the British Grand Prix, ahead of Alex Dunne and Kush Maini.
DAMS Lucas Oil driver Roman Bilinski will complete the second row at Silverstone, with Nikola Tsolov rounding out the top five. Mini will start the longer race in P10. That means Tsolov has the better starting position of the two title rivals going into the most important race of the weekend.
Championship leader Mini was noted by the stewards for a potential unsafe release during the 30-minute grid-setting session, but it was later decided no further action was necessary. A lucky escape for him there.
What Happens Next at Silverstone?
The F2 feature race runs on Sunday morning before the F1 main event. With Tsolov starting P5 and Mini buried in P10, this is Tsolov’s race to attack. Camara, starting from pole, could also play a key role in shuffling the championship picture further. While the F1 action at the British Grand Prix takes centre stage on Sunday, the F2 title fight will be every bit as gripping. Don’t miss a lap. You can also check out our coverage of the Belgian Grand Prix 2026 at Spa, the next stop on the calendar after Silverstone.
