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Nikola Tsolov has already established himself as one of the frontrunning drivers in the FIA Formula 2 Championship following his early promotion to the series in late 2025. He joined the Red Bull Junior Team earlier that year and became the outright record holder of the most race wins (five) in FIA Formula 3, en route to becoming Vice Champion. He started 2026 with a bang, claiming victory in the F2 Feature Race at the opening round of the season in Australia.
Raised in Sofia, Bulgaria, Nikola started racing karts aged nine and quickly fell in love with the buzz of high-speed, wheel-to-wheel action. The 19-year-old is known for his strong work ethic and recognises the value of putting in the hours away from the track, which caught the attention of Red Bull.
“Joining Red Bull Junior Team in 2025 was a strong move in my career,” said Nikola. “They put in a lot of work on and off track to make us the best version of ourselves so I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity to work with a team and family like that.”
While climbing the junior motorsport ladder is incredibly challenging for any young driver, coming from a country with a low motorsport involvement makes Nikola’s journey even more satisfying. During his karting years, budget limitations often made him doubt whether he would ever move forward in racing. But in 2022, he got an unexpected and welcome opportunity to step into Spanish F4, which helped reignite his career ambitions.
“It seemed impossible in the beginning, coming from Bulgaria and being limited financially, but I have never thought about the far future ahead,” said Nikola. “I’ve always enjoyed the process and the journey step-by-step and when you believe in something, nothing can stop you from doing it.
“The toughest moment for me was 2024 in F3 after Australia, when the expectations for me were really high, but the results weren’t matching, so I was thinking it’s over for me in Formula cars. Suddenly, everything changed after that, and things started getting much better after my win that year in Monaco.”
Nikola got his first taste of a Formula 1 car when driving on home soil in Sofia, Bulgaria, at a Red Bull Show Run, something he says “I will remember forever”. He adds: “It would be a dream for both me and the country to be the first Bulgarian driver in F1, this is my goal and I’m only getting closer every day. I’d love to make my country proud one day and prove that with determination, belief and talent, anything is possible.”
Away from racing, Nikola likes to chill with friends, play racket sports and board games. As is still the case for many young drivers, Ayrton Senna is Nikola’s racing idol, while Max Verstappen provides modern inspiration for the way he is able to quickly analyse situations on the track. Nikola will be one to watch during the 2026 F2 season with the aim of winning the drivers’ championship.
