Tsolov reflecting on the positives after bittersweet weekend in Budapest

7 August 2025

It was not meant to be for Nikola Tsolov around the Hungaroring, as a tough Qualifying result practically ended his title hopes before a racing lap was run in Budapest at the weekend.

The Campos Racing driver was left with a fightback from P21 on the grid, but in Sunday’s Feature Race, he delivered one of his best performances of the season, despite the title going away from him.

Speaking in the paddock afterwards, the Red Bull Junior Team driver reflected on what was a tough weekend that ended with a bright spot as he charged through the pack to finish sixth in difficult conditions.

“In the Sprint, with it being a fully dry race, I think it was really difficult to recover places,” he explained. “I had some quick drivers in front of me that could manage their deg pretty well, so it was tough.

“But in the Feature Race, I was hoping for conditions like the ones we got, where you don’t really know what’s going to happen. I think I got on pretty well in the wet, just like in pre-season testing, where we showed great pace.

“Step by step, I managed to come through the field, it’s just a shame that we ended up just shy of the podium in the end.”

It was an impressive drive through the field by the Campos driver in tricky conditions

Reflecting on his approach, Tsolov explained his thinking in pushing early to try and make up as many positions as possible, despite it leaving him with a management job to the end of the race.

He also says the setup Campos went with in relation to the tyres was the right one, allowing him to make moves in the beginning of the Feature while still having the ability to hold onto his Medium Pirellis by the end.

“I used a lot of tyre in the beginning just to try and recover, and then still managed to keep up a decent pace to the end to be fair.

“I think it was the right approach. After all, you need to chalk off everybody you can in the beginning and then see how you can manage things to the end. Obviously, no one knows the conditions and so pressures were a big factor.

“I think everyone thought that maybe lower pressures would have been better, but you never know. I think we managed things pretty well, and although we were just short of the podium, we never expected to be in P6.”

Of course, Tsolov’s sixth-place finish was not enough to prevent title rival Rafael Câmara from sealing the crown last Sunday, though the Bulgarian driver says he was resigned to the eventuality after Qualifying.

Tsolov's fightback into the points wasn't enough to keep him in contention, but he remained proud on Sunday

Still, he paid tribute to his rival’s performances on a Friday in particular, and said that ending this phase of the season with a strong drive regardless was a positive to take into the summer break and Monza.

“Yeah definitely. I think after Qualifying we knew it was over, and the chances were pretty small. So, congrats to Rafa because he did a really good season. He was consistent in every Qualifying session which was quite impressive.

“I think unfortunately, we didn’t have a long title fight let’s say, but that’s how it is. For sure, to finish a race like that just before the summer break is really useful.

“I was struggling a bit and was down let’s say because the last few rounds have been difficult, but drives like that prove what you can do. And, although we didn’t win the Championship, we’re still up there, and that’s what matters so we’ll keep moving forward.

“It’s a big break now, hopefully we’ll come back in good shape at Monza and hopefully we can wrap it up with a top two because now I’m under a bit of pressure from my teammate, but let’s see what we can do.”