Nikola Tsolov revealed before the Miami GP that he remains in contact with Helmut Marko, even after the former Red Bull executive’s retirement at the end of the 2025 season. The Bulgarian driver said he received a message from Marko after winning the main race at the Australian GP, a result that put him in the lead of Formula 2.
Read more F1: Domenicali celebrates Miami GP and praises new regulations
“Actually, he sent me a message congratulating me after the win in Australia, which was nice to see,” Tsolov said. “[Marko] still follows Formula 2, even though it’s very early in Europe. I’m happy to see that he is still very passionate about it. I’m sure he is still involved in some things. It’s good to see him. I miss him sometimes, actually,” he stated.
Currently, Tsolov is the only driver from the Red Bull academy in Formula 2. Despite the good performance, he stated that there are no plans yet for a possible participation in Formula 1 free practice sessions: “There is nothing planned at the moment,” he said. “I definitely want to make my Formula 1 debut at some point, but that depends on my results. If I keep delivering this performance, I should expect something like that to happen soon.”
Read more F1 analyzes initial effects of the 2026 regulation changes
After winning the sprint in Miami, Tsolov extended his lead in Formula 2, but a retirement in the main race left the advantage at just one point over Rafael Câmara and Gabriele Minì. The category returns at the Canadian GP, between May 22 and 24.
