Record-breaking Tsolov completes Silverstone F2 double win

Photo: Red Bull

Nikola Tsolov became the first driver to win three races in a row in the modern Formula 2 championship as the Red Bull junior completed a Silverstone double with feature race victory.

Rafael Villagomez benefited from his perfectly executed alternate strategy as Kush Maini rounded out the top three.

From the second row of the grid, Maini rocketed past polesitter Camara to take the lead with Tsolov following him into second. Camara was going backwards, dropping down to fourth before challenging Alex Dunne into turn 4.

The Brazilian was instructed by his Invicta Racing team to give the place back after completing it off the track, allowing Rodin Motorsport’s Dunne through on the second lap.

Further back, Nico Varrone had a superb start, charging up from 19th to 11th and putting the pressure on Dino Beganovic ahead for a top 10 place.

The majority of the soft runners dived for the pits early on with Villagomez taking over the lead having started on the hard tyres. The Van Amersfoort Racing driver led Joshua Duerksen, while Maini maintained the net race lead ahead of Tsolov who was reeling the ART driver in.

By half race distance, Villagomez was over six seconds clear of Duerksen with Maini fending off attacks from Tsolov behind as the pair threaded their way through the long runners.

Towards the rear of the field, Ritomo Miyata was slowly becoming a road block with a queue of four drivers, led by Sebastian Montoya, stuck behind the Hitech.

Montoya’s attack didn’t last long though as he pulled off at Becketts with a suspension issue, likely related to contact with his teammate Mari Boya earlier in the race.

By lap 20, Tsolov was looking to clear Maini and claim the net race lead. Heading into Copse, Tsolov pulled to the outside and held firm, pulling clear as the pair headed through Maggots in a spectacular move to claim the net lead.

With six laps to go, Gabriele Mini was the first of the leading three to get rid of his hard tyres, re-joining 12th. Duerksen followed in the following lap having been unable to eat into the 10s gap Villagomez had developed, and rejoined just behind Mini.

All eyes were now on Villagomez, who dived for the pits with five laps remaining. Noel Leon took over the race lead opting to run a few laps longer, with Villagomez rejoining in a net fifth place just behind Camara.

The late stoppers began to work their way through the field with fresher tyres, Mini passing Roman Bilinski for seventh while Villagomez cleared Camara and Dunne within a lap to move into fourth.

When Villagomez then cleared Maini he was free to charge after Tsolov, but the gap proved too big.

Tsolov became the first driver to complete a weekend double since Zane Maloney in 2024, with Villagomez and Maini completing the top three. Dunne and Camara rounded out the top five with Mini sixth.

Race results (29 laps)