As the 2025 F3 Championship approached its halfway mark, few drivers like Bulgaria’s Nikola Tsolov have captured attention. Returning for his third F3 season with Campos Racing, the same team that guided him to Spanish F4 glory in 2022, Tsolov came into the season with unfinished business. Five rounds in, he has more than re-established himself.
The season started with an emotional rollercoaster
On a rainy first weekend of the Formula 3 season in Melbourne, Tsolov was unfortunately unable to achieve his goal. Although he crossed the finish line in P8 in the Sprint Race, he was knocked out of the Feature race on the first lap after a rolling start at the wet Albert Park Circuit.
Tsolov wasted no time setting the tone straight for 2025 after this disappointment. In the season’s second race weekend at Bahrain, he scored his first win of the campaign in the Sprint Race, followed by a solid P5 finish in the Feature Race.
Imola: solid, not spectacular
Tsolov’s Imola weekend was less headline-worthy but underscored the maturity of a third-year driver focused on points rather than panicked heroics. After taking a podium in the Sprint (P3), he managed only P9 in the Feature Race, edged out in a midfield skirmish and unable to challenge the front-runners.
Though not a standout drive, it was another points haul that kept Tsolov in championship contention and highlighted his improved consistency, a trait that had eluded him in past seasons.
Monaco: a career-defining moment
Then came Monaco—and with it, history.
Tsolov’s masterclass around the streets of Monte Carlo was nothing short of legendary. Securing pole position from Group A in qualifying, he converted it into a commanding lights-to-flag victory in the Feature Race. In doing so, Tsolov became the first driver in F3 history to win five races, breaking a long-standing record and writing his name into the record books.
It wasn’t just the win that impressed; it was how it came. Tsolov controlled the pace, resisted mid-race pressure from Roman Bilinski, and expertly rebuilt a lead after two late Safety Car interruptions. By the chequered flag, he was over three seconds clear.
“Feels amazing,” Tsolov said post-race. “I think it’s redemption time, the season started more difficult that an expected and it’s a good track to do it and gives me a lot of confidence going into the season. A good track to do it and I could not be happier.“
That win and that quote perfectly captured the spirit of a driver who had long been tipped for stardom but had, until now, lacked a defining F3 moment. Monaco gave it to him.
Barcelona: a battle through the field
After his Monaco high, Barcelona proved a test of Tsolov’s adaptability.
Starting from P2 in the Feature Race, Tsolov bogged down at the start and dropped to eighth. But instead of folding, he regrouped. Through calm, strategic overtaking, most notably a DRS-powered pass on Martinius Stenshorne, Tsolov climbed back to finish fifth.
While not a podium finish, it was another example of the growing maturity in his racecraft.
Record-breaking and title-hunting
As of Round 5, Tsolov sits second in the standings on 79 points, trailing only Rafael Câmara (105). He’s ahead of high-flyers like Tim Tramnitz and Noah Stromsted, and crucially, he’s led Campos Racing to second in the Teams’ standings; a serious achievement in its own right.
His record-breaking fifth win has cemented him as one of the most successful drivers in F3’s modern era. But stats tell only part of the story: Tsolov’s 2025 F3 season so far has also been a narrative of redemption.
The road ahead
With rounds still to come at the Red Bull Ring, Silverstone, Spa, Budapest, and Monza, the championship fight is far from over. Câmara holds the lead, but his retirement in Monaco showed he’s not invincible. Tsolov, meanwhile, has been building momentum. Not through dominance but with perseverance and a growing ability to extract results in every condition.
