Tsolov hoping to pile the pressure on title rival Câmara around Hungaroring

Nikola Tsolov enters the penultimate round of the 2025 season second in the Championship, and the Campos Racing driver is hoping to make it a big one in the title fight.

Currently second and 28 points adrift of Championship leader Rafael Câmara, the Bulgarian driver has an uphill battle to claw back ground in the Standings, but ahead of the weekend in Budapest, said he was confident of his chances for Round 9.

“I feel great. Spa. Wasn't the weekend we were expecting, but other than that, Budapest is a track that I've been good at the past two years, and one I feel confident around so I'm looking forward to the weekend.

“Hopefully we'll have a clean one and no cancellations or weird stuff happening with rain. It hasn't been a lucky year with the rain for me, but maybe now it's time it changes.

“I think it's a track with characteristics that is going to suit our car and suit my driving style. I think it's pretty technical, it's tough physically, so it's going to be one to enjoy on my side. I know how to win a race around here. So, let's try and repeat it.”

While he has a deficit to make up in the Championship standings, the Red Bull Junior Team driver says he is focused on the basics rather than the bigger picture of the title fight.

Tsolov has taken three of the last five pole positions in 2025 and around a track where overtaking could be potentially difficult, he feels confident of his chances this weekend.

He added that the points buffer between himself and the Championship leader plays into Câmara’s advantage, but he hoped to heap more pressure on the Brazilian across the penultimate weekend to stay within touch going into Monza.

“I'm not really thinking about it, to be honest. I'm more of a round-by-round approach right now. With Spa cancelled, it’s one less chance. But at the same time, he was starting second in conditions where you could barely see. So maybe if it had started, it would have been better for him.

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“So, I’m not too disappointed about that, but I think it's two rounds where we should be quick. We’re in striking distance, and it's not too far. I mean, we thought it was too far before Red Bull Ring, and after the weekend it wasn't. So one bad weekend is all it takes. And it's a track where it can happen.

“I think he's got a pretty good advantage but the same time it's possible. So, if I was him, I wouldn't really feel under pressure, to be honest. But I hope I can put some on him, and I'm pretty sure he feels it.”

This weekend is shaping up to be an unpredictable one also with changeable weather potentially in store for Sunday’s Feature Race.

Tsolov has tasted success around the Hungaroring in the past, and is targeting a repeat in 2025, but that experience could be vital on a weekend where everyone is expecting a tricky time.

The yellow-banded Medium tyres are the compound of choice for Round 9, meaning drivers will need to be wary of pushing too much too soon or face too much tyre deg versus their rivals.

Tsolov added that he doesn’t know what to expect in the races, but feels he and Campos are well-placed for a good result based on their overall speed in the races this season.

“I have no expectations because we don't know how it's gonna be. Spa at 12 laps, we were struggling quite a bit with the tyres. But I’d say I wasn’t myself compared to others, which is a good sign coming into here, where I think it's gonna be much tougher.

“It's hotter, it's a more demanding track, especially on the rear tyres, so we'll see people struggling and dropping off a lot, which is actually quite interesting, because although you can't really pass on this layout, you can still make good moves, like we saw in 2023 with the tyre deg. So yeah, I'm looking forward to it, although let's see if it's wet.”