Nikola Tsolov claimed the Formula 2 sprint race win of Round 7 at Silverstone, ahead of Gabriele Mini and Rafael Villagómez. After an early safety car and a successful restart, Nikola Tsolov performed an impeccable drive and secured the win in a last-lap move.
Clean start to the Formula 2 sprint race
The Formula 2 sprint race had a clean launch and first lap as Gabriele Mini defended his lead and quickly built a gap ahead of Rafael Villagómez. Behind him, his title rival Nikola Tsolov made up several positions and moved up to third. However, the race was interrupted early as Sebastián Montoya and John Bennett stopped on the track and a safety car was deployed.
The safety car finished on lap 6 as Mini nailed the restart. Despite a momentary yellow flag, the race went uninterrupted as Tsolov tried to move up a place, unsuccessfully. Behind the lead group, teammates Roman Bilinski and Dino Beganovic had a moment to secure the last point spot.
On lap 8, Nikola Tsolov made his move to second and started chasing Mini. Meanwhile, Joshua Dürksen, in fourth, started closing the gap with Villagómez ahead of him.
A last-lap move decides the winner
As the Formula 2 sprint race reached the halfway point, Rafael Câmara made a move on Noel León, yet remained outside of the points in 12th position. At the front, Mini and Tsolov pulled a bigger gap from the group. As the action at the front settled, Bilinski, Beganovic and Ritomo Miyata engaged in a relentless battle for the last-point spot.
On Lap 13, Bilinski moved up to seventh, securing extra points as Beganovic went through Miyata to secure a provisional point position. Alexander Dunne, who was a spectator to the battle, also went past Miyata a lap later. Meanwhile, at the front, Tsolov patiently closed the gap to Mini before getting into his DRS zone. At the same time, Kush Maini overtook Dürksen for fourth.
On lap 16, the two championship rivals and leader of the Formula 2 sprint race engaged in their first battle for the lead. Reaching the DRS zone, Tsolov tried to make a move on Mini, but the Alpine Academy driver defended his position. However, Villagómez started to catch up to the two at the front, too.
On the final lap of the Formula 2 sprint race, Mini had a lock-up as Nikola Tsolov went side by side, finally making his move stick and becoming the new race leader. However, as Mini struggled, Villagómez tried to make a move, too, unsuccessfully. Ultimately, Nikola Tsolov crossed the finish line ahead of Gabriele Mini after a last-lap overtake and claimed the Formula 2 sprint race win. And with these results, the Formula 2 championship remains undecided and very much alive.
