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Tsolov Claims Silverstone F2 Sprint Victory After Last-Lap Pass on Minì
Nikola Tsolov drew level with Gabriele Minì at the top of the Formula 2 standings by pulling off a final-lap overtake to win the Silverstone Sprint Race.
By Michael de Vries - 2026-07-04T13:59:55.000Z - 2 min read
A late mistake on the final lap at Silverstone handed Nikola Tsolov a dramatic Sprint Race victory and brought the Campos Racing driver level with Gabriele Minì at the top of the Formula 2 standings. Minì had led from the opening lap, but Tsolov’s steady late charge culminated in a decisive last-gasp move that reshuffled the championship picture ahead of Sunday's Feature Race.
Starting fifth on the grid, Tsolov made immediate progress when the lights went out, carving his way into third before an early Safety Car neutralised the action. That interruption came courtesy of a collision between Sebastian Montoya and John Bennett, which eliminated both drivers on the spot. Further back in the pack, Martinius Stenshorne pushed Rafael Camara out of the top ten during a robust attack, earning the Rodin driver a ten-second time penalty while dropping Camara to 14th.
Minì had retained his lead off the line, while Rafael Villagomez took advantage of a sluggish start from front-row partner Ritomo Miyata to move into second. When the race resumed on Lap 7, Minì held off the initial pressure, but Tsolov wasted little time making his move on the restart.
On Lap 8, the Bulgarian executed a clean sweep around the outside of Villagomez at Stowe to claim second position. Once clear of the Van Amersfoort Racing car, Tsolov turned his focus to closing down Minì, gradually whittling away the MP Motorsport driver's advantage across the second half of the 21-lap distance.
Minì appeared poised to defend the win entering the closing stages, but a small mistake on the final lap proved costly. Tsolov pounced instantly on the Sicilian's error, sweeping past to cross the line 1.291 seconds ahead and secure maximum points from the Sprint.
Villagomez completed the podium in third place, finishing under four tenths behind Minì, with ART Grand Prix duo Kush Maini and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak securing fourth and fifth. Dino Beganovic led DAMS teammate Roman Bilinski in sixth and seventh, while Joshua Dürksen claimed the final point in eighth for Invicta ahead of Alex Dunne and Camara.
The result leaves Tsolov and Minì tied on 116 points at the summit of the Drivers' Championship. Momentum now tilts toward Tsolov for Sunday’s Feature Race, where the Campos driver is set to line up fifth on the grid while Minì faces a tougher recovery drive from tenth place in a race featuring mandatory pit stops.