Nikola Dimitrov Tsolov (born 21 December 2006 in Sofia) is a Bulgarian racing driver nicknamed "the Bulgarian Lion" and the most successful single-seater driver his country has ever produced. A Red Bull Junior Team member, he reached the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2026 with Campos Racing as the first Bulgarian to race in the category.
The climb
Tsolov rose through karting from around age nine — schooled in part through Fernando Alonso's karting programme — collecting national and continental titles before moving into cars in 2022. In his rookie car season he dominated the F4 Spanish Championship, winning thirteen races on his way to the title.
Formula 3
He stepped up to FIA Formula 3 with ART Grand Prix in 2023 as an Alpine Academy driver, finishing a quiet 22nd. He announced himself in 2024, again with ART, taking three wins — including the Monaco sprint, where he became the first Bulgarian to win in the series — to finish 11th. His third F3 season in 2025, switched to Campos, was his strongest: he fought for the title all year and finished runner-up to Rafael Câmara, and his record-breaking Monaco victory took his career tally to five wins, the most in the championship's history. By then he had also changed allegiance, leaving the Alpine Academy (which he had been part of from 2022) in November 2024 to join the Red Bull Junior Team.
Formula 2
Tsolov made an early F2 debut late in 2025, replacing Pepe Martí at Campos for the final two rounds, and took third in the Abu Dhabi sprint — a podium on only his second weekend.
2026 / current season
Confirmed full-time with Campos for 2026, Tsolov has been a frontrunner from the off. He won the feature race at the season-opening Melbourne round for his maiden F2 victory — the first ever by a Bulgarian — and added sprint or feature wins at Miami and Monaco. After the Barcelona round (Round 5) he sits second in the standings with 80 points, just six behind leader Gabriele Minì, having finished second on the road in Barcelona before a five-second penalty dropped him to fourth. The Bulgarian Lion is firmly in the title fight.