site.btaUPDATED Nikola Tsolov Takes Victory in F2 Sprint Race in Miami

Nikola Tsolov secured his second victory in the F2 season after winning a closely contested battle with Laurens van Hoepen in the sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix. Tsolov leads the F2 standings midway through the second round of the season, holding a nine-point lead over van Hoepen.

Campos’ Tsolov and TRIDENT’s Van Hoepen stayed at the front in the race. Tsolov's slide into Turn 16 looked like giving Van Hoepen a chance at P1, but he stayed behind yet again by Lap 10. On Lap 13, Van Hoepen finally took P1. Tsolov and Van Hoepen continued their fight for the lead, juggling P1 between them with seven laps to go. Tsolov and Van Hoepen's fight went all the way to the end - the pair exchanged P1 on the final lap, before Tsolov retook the lead over the Dutch on the final straight, to become the first F2 winner in the US with 0.170 seconds.

Rodin Motorsport driver Alex Dunne joined the battle for first place at the very end, but finished third.

"The race was really tough, probably the toughest physically, everyone struggled quite a lot, but I was well prepared. It was very exciting because the DRS zones were very powerful, there was an opportunity to overtake every lap, and every straight. It was intense, was tough, but I am glad to come away with the win, just at the last corner. So I suggest everyone go watch the race and enjoy it," Tsolov said, quoted by F2.

In the standings, Tsolov, now on 35 points, extends his lead at the top of the Drivers' Championship, with TRIDENT’s van Hoepen up to second, nine points behind. Rafael Camara is third on 18 points, just ahead of his Invicta Racing teammate Joshua Duerksen who has 15 points, with Hitech’s Ritomo Miyata a point behind in fifth.

In the teams’ standings, Campos Racing lead the way with 43 points, with Invicta Racing second on 33. TRIDENT are third with 26 points, just ahead of MP Motorsport on 21, as Hitech round out the top five on 20.