Tsolov claims historic victory in action-packed Melbourne Feature Race

Nikola Tsolov has taken out the FIA Formula 2™ Feature Race in an entertaining contest at the FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2026. The Bulgarian drove a clever race, making an early pitstop and positioning himself second mid-race when a Safety Car interrupted the field.

The timing of that Safety Car on Lap 18 appeared to favor Nicolas Varrone, who had started 19th on the harder Pirelli tires. After pitting under the caution, the Argentine resumed in the lead on fresh Soft tires, but a five-second penalty for pitlane speeding derailed his hopes.

Red Bull Junior Tsolov seized the lead as soon as the Safety Car pulled off, using the penalized Varrone as a buffer against the chasing pack. Rafael Câmara, the reigning FIA Formula 3™ champion, eventually fought his way into second but could not close the gap to the leader.

At the checkered flag, Tsolov held a 1.6-second advantage to secure a historic win just one day after a difficult 17th-place finish in the Sprint. Câmara settled for second, while Dutch rookie Laurens van Hoepen claimed third to give Trident its first podium since 2024.

MP Motorsport secured fourth place with Olivier Goethe, finishing just ahead of Toyota-backed star Ritomo Miyata. Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak crossed the line in sixth for ART Grand Prix, followed closely by American Colton Herta.

Herta impressed in his first Feature Race, charging from 14th on the grid to seventh after making several late-race overtakes. Conversely, it was a devastating day for pole-sitter Dino Beganovic, who suffered a mechanical failure on Lap 17 while recovering from a poor start.

The afternoon was also marred by internal drama at Rodin Motorsport on Lap 3. Alexander Dunne and Martinius Stenshorne made contact while battling for the lead, breaking Stenshorne’s front wing and triggering the first Safety Car.

With the support categories concluded, the focus at Albert Park now shifts entirely to the main event. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are currently finalizing their preparations for the first Grand Prix™ of the new era.