Photo: ART Grand Prix
Nikola Tsolov has departed the Alpine Academy and reunited with Campos Racing ahead of a third season of Formula 3 in 2025.
The 17-year-old Bulgarian was made a full member of Alpine’s Formula 1 driver development programme in February 2023, having previously been an affiliate member from March 2022.
Shortly before his signing by Alpine, Tsolov’s career came under the guidance of the A14 Management company launched by Fernando Alonso.
At the time it was a new player in the driver management market, and Alonso was an Alpine driver in F1. He then switched to Aston Martin in 2023, and is contracted with the team until the end of 2026. None of Alonso’s current proteges are Aston Martin juniors.
“I would like to thank Alpine Academy for the past three successful years working together!” Tsolov said on Instagram as he announced his departure.
“We’ve dominated in Formula 4 and stepped up to Formula 3 with great results. It’s been an incredible journey with a lot of learning and progress. I wish the team all the best and I’m sure they will have a lot of further success in the future!”
Tsolov won the Spanish F4 title as a single-seater rookie in 2022, taking the crown with 13 victories from 21 races. He has raced for Global Racing Service in Eurocup-3 and ART Grand Prix in the FIA F3 Championship since then, competing full-time in the latter.
His seven Eurocup-3 outings so far have resulted in two poles and three podiums, as well as 10th place in the 2023 standings of the Formula Regional-based series, and in F3 he scored six points as a rookie then improved to 75 this season. Although he won three times, in the Monaco and Red Bull Ring sprint races and the Hungaroring feature race, he only finished in the points on four other occasions and ended the season 11th in the standings.
Last month F3 held its post-season tests in Spain, and Tsolov reunited with his F4 team Campos. He topped three sessions and was the driver to beat throughout much of the time he was on track.
“It is a pleasure to reunite with Nikola, a driver we have excellent memories of,” said team principal Adrian Campos Jr. “He took his first steps in single-seaters with Campos Racing, winning the title in his first experience with us, and did so in an overwhelming manner. In the post-season tests we have conducted, we performed at a very high level in Jerez and Barcelona. I am confident that we are on the verge of a great year together.”