Tsolov claims Monaco Feature Race victory

Nikola Tsolov delivered a composed and clinical performance on the streets of Monte Carlo, converting pressure, strategy and late‑race chaos into a decisive Feature Race victory. The Bulgarian driver kept himself in contention throughout the 42‑lap contest and seized the win when race leader Rafael Câmara made a critical mistake in the closing stages.

Tsolov strikes as Câmara falters in tense Monaco showdown

The Feature Race began with polesitter Rafael Câmara making a clean getaway, holding the lead ahead of Tsolov and Alexander Dunne. Behind them, Martinius Stenshorne suffered a poor launch, dropping from fourth to sixth as Dino Beganovic and Gabriele Minì both slipped past.

Tsolov immediately showed strong pace, setting the fastest lap on Lap 3 and closing to within half a second of Câmara. The Brazilian responded with a quicker lap of his own, stretching the gap back to 1.1 seconds as the leaders began to pull away from Dunne in third.

The first strategic moves came on Lap 8, with Sebastián Montoya and Laurens van Hoepen switching from supersofts to softs. Tsolov remained within striking distance of Câmara, re‑entering DRS range on Lap 12, while Dunne came under increasing pressure from Beganovic.

By Lap 17, Câmara appeared to stabilise the situation, posting personal best sectors and opening a 1.5‑second cushion. Further back, gaps began to form as Minì dropped away from Beganovic and came under threat from Stenshorne.

The pit cycle intensified on Lap 24 when the soft‑tyre starters, including Oliver Goethe and John Bennett, switched to supersofts. Minì pitted on Lap 26 but a slow stop dropped him to 17th, compromising his race. Roman Bilinski followed a lap later, while Noel León pitted on Lap 28 and crucially rejoined ahead of Bilinski, though immediately under pressure from both the DAMS driver and Minì.

Beganovic boxed on Lap 29 and rejoined in 11th on fresh supersofts, setting up a late charge. The leaders waited longer, with Tsolov and Stenshorne pitting on Lap 32, followed by Câmara and Dunne on Lap 33.

Drama for Câmara

The decisive moment came immediately after the stops. Câmara rejoined ahead of Tsolov but struggled for grip on cold tyres. Tsolov closed rapidly, and as they ran side‑by‑side into Turn 1, Câmara locked up and went straight on at Sainte Dévote. The Brazilian was unable to rejoin, triggering a Virtual Safety Car and ending his race.

With Câmara out, Tsolov inherited the lead and controlled the final laps. Kush Maini, who had extended his first stint, finally pitted on the penultimate lap and rejoined in third, but Beganovic was flying. The Swede caught Maini on the final lap and executed a decisive move to snatch the final podium position.

Tsolov crossed the line to secure his second Feature Race win of the season and third consecutive victory, strengthening his championship challenge. Dunne finished a strong second, while Beganovic completed the podium after his late‑race surge.

Maini held on to fourth, narrowly ahead of Stenshorne. Ritomo Miyata finished sixth, followed by Emerson Fittipaldi, Montoya, León and Bilinski, who completed the points.

Tsolov was understandably delighted after the race, saying:

“Win in Monaco again, third win in a row, I could not feel any better. We are again in the championship fight so heading into Barcelona I am feeling quite confident.”

The result tightens the title battle dramatically. Gabriele Minì retains the championship lead with 63 points, but Tsolov is now just one point behind. Stenshorne and Dunne sit tied on 48 points, with León close behind on 45. Campos Racing continues to lead the Teams’ standings on 107 points.

The grid now heads to Barcelona for Round 5 from 12–14 June, where the championship fight promises to intensify even further. Top 10 result below, for complete results click here.