Nikola Tsolov took the main Formula 2 Feature Race victory at Silverstone, marking a significant moment in the championship, as the series rounds out the weekend at the British Grand Prix.
Closely behind him were Rafael Villagomez and Kush Maini, who sealed the final podium for the weekend at the iconic venue.
The grid, set by Friday’s qualifying, saw Ferrari-backed Rafael Camara start on pole position. Alongside him was a fellow member of the championship contenders, Alex Dunne. Both drivers needed a solid race to stay in touch with the top two in the Drivers’ Championship standings Formula 2 2026 British GP – Feature Race Results
As the lights went out, it was Maini who had the best start off the line, moving up to the race lead. Camara and Dunne both struggled off the line and found themselves in third and fourth at the end of the opening lap. Meanwhile Tsolov continued his sublime race start form, moving his Red Bull into second place.
On the opening Lap, Maini had already secured an almost 2-second gap to the championship leader behind. The ART driver showed immense pace to run away in the first stages of the race.
Dunne, meanwhile, lodged a complaint against Camara, claiming his Invicta rival overtook him outside of the circuit. Ultimately, the Brazilian returned the position to his rival, demoting him to fourth despite starting on pole.
Further down the field, co-championship leader Gabriele Mini found himself out of the points in 12th place. As Tsolov looked likely to secure yet another podium finish, the Italian looked likely to lose crucial championship points to the Bulgarian.
Early pit stops
As soon as the pit lane opened, all of the soft tyre starters came into the pit lane for a changeover to the hard compound. This left Rafael Villagomez and Joshua Durksen out front in control of the race, on the alternative strategy.
Maini and Tsolov were locked in a battle with one another as soon as they exited the pit lane. With equal tyres, both drivers were frantically attacking and defending for the virtual race lead. However, they needed to remain cautious of their rivals around, as a battle could have invited Dunne and Camara into fight for the race lead.
At the halfway point of the race, Maini had established a 1.2-second gap to Tsolov, as the pair began to settle into the race. All while Villagomez was extending his lead on the alternative strategy, as the group continued to hope for a Safety Car.
On Lap 15, Maini encountered his first driver yet to pit, Cian Shields, who did not fight the place, allowing the Indian driver to get by into eighth place. The following lap, Tsolov also sailed past the AIX driver, with the pair matching each other on pace throughout the lap.
Sebastian Montoya then went wide into Turn 17, seemingly with a rear suspension issue following an early race collision with his team-mate. Even though the the PREMA driver returned to the circuit, he made his way slowly back to the pit lane and retirement, his third consecutive DNF.
Lap 19 saw the Maini-Tsolov battle intensify. The Bulgarian driver found himself four tenths behind Maini in front; but the ART driver was not letting him past without a fight. Tsolov attempted a move around Stowe, but was unsuccessful. The Red Bull Academy driver then decided to attempt a move similar to the one that secured him victory in the Sprint Race. Already wise to the move, Maini defended with his life.
Despite his best endeavours, the defence ultimately compromised Maini going into Maggots and Becketts. The pair were side by side until Tsolov used his pace advantage to get past, into the virtual race lead.
Going into the final laps…
In the midfield, Ritomo Miyata and Dino Beganovic were battling for 15th place and as the DAMS driver attempted to overtake, Miyata forced him off the circuit. The pressure appeared to get to both drivers as they locked up, allowing Colton Herta to close in on the battle.
On the same lap, Minì was called into the pits and on his exit, the Italian locked up, surrendering a position to Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak.
Meanwhile Villagómez pitted on Lap 25, with the Mexican rejoining just ahead of Alex Dunne. Now running on the soft-compound,Villagómez could not be ruled out as a contender for the race victory.
The lap following his pit stop saw his charge to the front begin. The Van Amersvoort driver making decisive moves on both Camara and Dunnem before setting his sights on Maini. With two laps remaining, the Mexican found himself just five seconds behind Tsolov, gaining with every corner that passed.
However, as the laps ticked down, Villagomez was unable to catch up to the fast-charging Tsolov at the front of the field., leaving the harding charging Mexican to settle for second place.
Tsolov came home to claim a third consecutive F2 victory – for the first time in the series history. The Bulgarian now leads the championship, just one race win away from equaling the record in the series.
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