Nikola Tsolov wins F2 Monaco Feature Race after Rafael Câmara error

Written by Liam Ploetner

Image Credit: Formula 2

After yesterday’s Sprint Race which saw victory for Noel León, it was Nikola Tsolov who took victory in the Feature Race after a crucial error from Rafael Câmara ended his race.

Invicta’s Rafael Câmara started from pole ahead of Campos’ Nikola Tsolov, Rodin duo Alex Dunne and Martinius Stenshorne, DAMS’ Dino Beganovic, MP’s Gabriele Minì, DAMS’ Roman Bilinski, Campos’ Noel León, ART’s Kush Maini and Hitech’s Ritomo Miyata.

In terms of strategy, every driver started on the softs, the harder compound of tyre, barring Sebastián Montoya, Rafael Villagómez, Emerson Fittipaldi Jr and Laurens van Hoepen, who started on the supersofts.

The 42-lap Feature Race got underway and it was Câmara who led into turn one. Stenshorne had a poor start, dropping from fourth to sixth behind Beganovic and Minì. Goethe had contact with Miyata into turn one, but managed to not pick up any major damage and was 12th. Varrone went off track on the opening lap at turn one as well. León got ahead of Bilinski for seventh. At the end of lap one, Câmara led Tsolov, Dunne, Beganovic, Minì, Stenshorne, León, Bilinski, Maini and Miyata. The driver who had the best start was Mari Boya, who picked up three places at the start.

After two laps, the top seven pulled away from Bilinski, who was now two seconds behind them.

Câmara and Tsolov remained close together with the latter scoring the fastest lap, while Dunne was now slightly back with Beganovic and Minì in tow. The pack began to separate,

At the end of lap seven, Montoya and van Hoepen pitted on the alternative strategy. Villagómez had picked up damage early on after contact with Joshua Dürksen and still needed to make his mandatory stop, as he pitted before the pit window was open. Montoya locked up at the Nouvelle Chicane. Two laps later, Fittipaldi Jr pitted, meaning that every driver on the alternative strategy had now pitted, albeit Villagómez still had to perform his mandatory stop.

Câmara went off at the Nouvelle Chicane on lap nine, but due to not being under pressure, he remained in the lead.

After 10 laps, Câmara and Tsolov remained just over a second clear of Dunne, who had Beganovic and Minì remaining just behind him, with Stenshorne now closing up as well.

At the end of lap 14, Villagómez made his mandatory pitstop, and was now 30 seconds behind van Hoepen in last.

Dunne was now some distance behind Câmara and Tsolov, but continued to remain clear of Beganovic and Minì.

Due to Câmara and Tsolov being so close together, it would likely come down to pit stop speed to decide the winner.

Emerson Fittipaldi Jr set the fastest lap down in 19th, owing to having 16 seconds of clean air ahead of him.

Halfway through the race, the top ten remained Câmara, Tsolov, Dunne, Beganovic, Minì, Stenshorne, León, Bilinski, Maini and Miyata.

By now, Minì’s tyres looked to be struggling. The pack had spread out. Câmara was almost two seconds clear of Tsolov, with Dunne three seconds behind the Bulgarian. Beganovic was two and a half seconds back from Dunne, while Minì and Stenshorne were three and a half seconds away from Beganovic. León was just over a second behind the duo, with Bilinski one and a half seconds away from León, and Maini and Miyata both separated by a second on the car ahead.

Goethe came into the pits on lap 23, making him the first driver to pit onto the supersofts. John Bennett joined him as well.

Montoya tapped the wall at the chicane.

Minì was the first in the top ten to pit, and he came out behind Fittipaldi Jr and Montoya, who were making the alternative strategy work. Minì was not helped at all by a delayed stop however, which gave the indication that the drivers further ahead might stay ahead of Fittipaldi Jr.

Bilinski came in a lap later on lap 26, with a quicker stop than Minì, which put him ahead of the Italian, but behind Fittipaldi Jr and Montoya. León now pitted with Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak, with León coming out behind Fittipaldi and Montoya as well. Beganovic became the second DAMS to enter pit row. 

Despite a slow stop, he was clear of Fittipaldi after exiting the pits, but barely, meaning Fittipaldi was on for fifth place depending on the pitstop speeds of Câmara, Tsolov and Dunne.

León had a massive lockup at turn one, and now had Bilinski and Minì on his tail. Bilinski went straight on at the Nouvelle Chicane due to a lockup while attempting a move on León.

Varrone was given a ten second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, which ended the Van Amersfoort Racing driver’s hopes of points.

Beganovic’s undercut was working, as he was two seconds quicker a lap than Dunne, which gave him the opportunity to jump the Rodin driver.

Tsolov saw this and pitted on lap 32, and was able to come out in clean air. Stenshorne came out between Beganovic and Fittipaldi. The top two came in a lap later, and Câmara was comfortably ahead of Tsolov. Dunne initially came out ahead, but Tsolov had warmer tyres.

Câmara had a poor warm up phase, and went off at Saint Devote, promoting Tsolov to the lead ahead of Dunne. Câmara was out of the race, which could be crucial for the championship race.

Miyata pitted just before the VSC was called, meaning he was promoted into the podium places in what was the best strategy call of the day from Hitech. Miyata now needed to just hang on and remain ahead of Beganovic on his warm up lap, but was not able to do so. Miyata went from running at the bottom of the top ten to getting himself into what would become fourth place.

Maini, Boya, Colton Herta, Varrone and Dürksen still needed to pit, with meant the top ten would be Tsolov, Dunne, Beganovic, Miyata, Stenshorne, Fittipaldi Jr, Montoya, León and Bilinski depending on how quick Maini’s pit stop would be.

Stenshorne attempted to overtake Miyata, who was struggling to get his tyres up to temperature, but couldn’t get ahead.

Boya was now under investigation for a VSC infringement, and picked up a five second penalty for his troubles. Herta also picked up a penalty, albeit a ten second one.

The five drivers who hadn’t pitted waited until the very end to pit, with Maini and Boya waiting until lap 41 of 42, while the other three of Herta, Varrone and Dürksen all pitted. Dürksen was now ahead of Varrone due to the penalty for the latter. Maini’s pit strategy worked to absolute perfection. 

He waited until the very end, and due to Beganovic being held up, he was now up into third. He needed to hang on for one more lap, but was in a similar spot to Miyata on his opening lap. 

Both went deep into the Nouvelle Chicane, with Beganovic remaining ahead. Miyata tried to pass Maini, but lost fifth to Stenshorne. Fittipaldi finished a brilliant seventh, while Montoya, León and Bilinski made up the bottom of the top ten.

Tsolov secured victory for Campos, making it his third win of the season and his third win in Monaco. It was Dunne’s tied best finish of the season, following up his second in Canada with another second in Monaco, which improved his title chances. Beganovic rounded out the podium ahead of Maini, who held on for fourth.