After a dramatic race, Nikola Tsolov claimed his maiden Formula 2 victory in the Feature Race at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix
After a disappointing Saturday, Tsolov was the fastest on track during Sundays Feature Race. In an incident ridden race, it was Rafaela Camara and Laurens van Hoepen who rounded out the all rookie podium.
This Weekend So Far…
Dino Beganovich picked up where he left off last year, securing the first pole position of the 2026 F2 Season. In a tight qualifying session, the DAMS Lucas Oil driver edged out Rodin’s Martinius Stenshorne and Alex Dunne by two tenths. Mari Boya and Gabriele Minì will start the Feature Race from the back of the field after bring out two red flags respectively.
In the F2 Sprint Race, it was Joshua Dürksen who was back to his winning ways. After joining Invicta for the 2026 Season, Dürksen was quick to pass Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak for the lead. In an incident ridden race, it was Noel León and Alex Dunne who rounded out the podium.
Disappoint Start For Rodin
Dino Beganovich was slow off the line as the lights went out on the F2 Feature Race. Martinius Stenshorne quick to take the lead heading into Turn 1. His teammate slots into second, while Tsolov, who looks to improve after a difficult Saturday slots into third.
While they may be teammates, neither Rodin driver was willing to give up as they fought around the Albert Park Circuit. At the end of the main straight, Dunne overtook Stenshorne, however, a lock up from Stenshorne left both out of the race.
The safety car was brought out as Stenshorne was left with a broken front wing. Dunne was left with damage to the back of his car, spinning onto the grass at Turn 2. With both drivers refusing to take responsibility, it will be a difficult debrief session for the team.
Grid Goes Green Again
By the start of Lap Six, the field was racing again. Nikola Tsolov led Rafaela Camara as both drivers aimed to secure their maiden F2 victories. DRS was enabled as Camara came within six tenths of the Red Bull junior.
Further back in the field, Kush Maini overtook Sebastian Montoya for eighth. Montoya, whose opening stint was on supersoft tyres, dived into the pit for his mandatory pit stop. With half of the field pitting before Lap 10, it was a race for Beganovich to catch the front runners who pitted one lap later.
Montoya recieved a 5 second time penalty for a pit lane infringement, while at the front of the field, the battle between Tsolov and Camara settled to just over one second.
However, it was the battle forming behind that would prove crucial. On Lap 15, Beganovich dived down the inside of Camara, claiming fourth on the road but second overall. Elsewhere, Durksen picked up a 5 second time penalty for moving before the signal.
Heartbreak for Beganovich
After successfully recovering from his start, Beganovich was forced to pull his DAMS Lucas Oil to the side of the track. His retirement, which brought out a Virtual Safety Car, neutralised the three second gap between Tsolov and Camara.
Two laps later, a full safety car was brought out allowing Nico Varrone to pit and return ahead of the whole field. Varrone, who enters his rookie season in F2 with Van Amersfoort Racing, was on track for his maiden victory. The Argentine driver joins the formula series after years in Sports and Hypercars. However, he was later handed a 5 second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
With the safety car ending on Lap 21, there was twelve laps to play for. Tsolov was quick off the restart, passing Varrone within the first few corners. As Camara was stuck behind the VAR driver, the Red Bull Junior driver was able to escape over a second up the road.
Ten Laps To Go
With only ten laps left in the F2 Feature Race at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, it was Tsolov who was putting on a show. The Bulgarian driver continued to hold his lead. Behind him, Camara pressured Varrone, while Laurens van Hoepen was also within striking distance.
With six laps to go, Camara was able to pass the Argentine. Tsolov looked almost untouchable as he charged to three seconds ahead. Van Hoepen was next to pass the VAR as the race ticked onto its 30th lap. Sprint Race winner Durksen made a last minute charge for points, overtaking Varrone who had since fallen to tenth.
As the Melbourne Feature Race came to an end, it was Tsolov who was two seconds clear of the field. Camara held off van Hoepen for second. Behind them Oliver Goethe recovers to fourth with Ritomo Miyata in sixth. Tsolov now ends the weekend first in the F2 Championship.
Formula 2 returns at the Bahrain Grand Prix from the 10th until the 12th of April.
Feature Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool