Nikola Tsolov wins duel with debutant Freddie Slater in F3 Bahrain sprint race

SAKHIR–It was a duel in the desert to open the FIA Formula 3 weekend in Bahrain, with Nikola Tsolov denying a debut victory for Freddie Slater after a tight-fought battle throughout the race.

It was Slater who started third and stormed past leaders Joshua Dufek and Martinius Stenshorne to take an early lead after a chaotic opening lap, but victory was never going to be simple.

Slater had some breathing room in his AIX Racing machinery when the race was neutralised after contact between teammates Brando Badoer and Ugo Ugochukwu left the American McLaren junior stranded on track.

When racing resumed, Bulgarian Nikola Tsolov made his way through the congested pack to second and immediately applied pressure for the lead.

A tense battle between the pair saw Tsolov finally come out in the lead with just over five laps remaining, but the Campos driver was immediately on the radio with concerns about his rear tyres.

The lead pair were soon under pressure from Tuukka Taponen, with the ART Grand Prix driver also making a stellar drive through the field while also maintaining his tyre life.

A collision between Ivan Domingues and polesitter Joshua Dufek in the midfield brought out the safety car once again, with the stage set for a two-lap sprint to the chequered flag.

Tsolov held on despite consistent pressure from Slater to deny the Brit a victory on debut and take his own record-equalling fourth victory in the FIA Formula 3 category.

“Good race, again a win for me in the sprint," said the Bulgarian.

"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 var, 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!"

Aussie James Wharton was 13th at the flag, making up eleven positions in a challenging race in the midfield. The ART Grand Prix driver was at one stage lucky to avoid a collision with teammate Laurens van Hoepen who dived down the inside at turn one.

The move from van Hoepen scuttled the pack and set up a battle of around six drivers through the final stages of the race, with Wharton taking valuable ground but ultimately finishing out of the points positions.

Behind him was Kiwi Louis Sharp for Rodin Motorsport, finishing 14th after a devasting blow to his front wing at the start of the final lap left him falling through the pack after his own impressive fight through the midfield.

Trident's Rafael Câmara holds his lead of the championship standings on 28 points, starting and finishing in 12th despite stalling on the grid and falling to the rear of the field, even having to pass the medical car on his return to the track.

Stenshorne was fifth and moves to second in the standings on 20 points, with Noah Strømsted and Théophile Naël close behind on 19 points. Tsolov's victory takes him to seventh in the standings, with Slater up to 10th for his debut on the championship ladder.

Câmara will take pole position when the FIA Formula 3 field returns for the Bahrain feature race at 7.55pm AEST on Sunday.

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