F3: Tsolov beats Slater to win Bahrain Sprint

Nikola Tsolov came through the field before holding off the battling Freddie Slater to claim victory in the Sakhir Sprint Race, giving the Campos Racing driver a record-equalling fourth win in FIA Formula 3.

The Formula 3 Sprint delivered some spectacular action, with the Bulgarian Nikola Tsolov (Campos Racing) taking the win ahead of two rookies, the English driver Freddie Slater (AIX Racing) second, and Finland’s Tukka Taponen (ART Grand Prix) third.

The race was affected by a few safety cars, but it was closely contested and the outcome was only decided in the final metres, when Tsolov managed to defend the lead he had taken off Slater at the final restart.

In terms of the tyres, the race was run in extreme conditions, with track temperatures exceeding 50 °C. It was a very close race with the 23 drivers all crossing the finish line covered by just 17”. Those who did the best job of managing tyre overheating were able to exploit the remaining grip at the end and make up places.

Commenting on his win, Tsolov said: “Good race, again a win for me in the Sprint. I think it was really difficult to be honest. I had to push a lot in the beginning to make up some ground from where we started in P5, and I think that compromised me a bit in the end but I got saved by the Safety Car, which was a little bit lucky because I was struggling a lot before that.

"I am really happy. I am so grateful to the team for their hard work, and the fans that came here, there was quite a few, so a lot of fans. Thank
you everyone!”