{"id":2799,"date":"2026-09-25T08:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T11:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=2799"},"modified":"2026-09-25T08:24:51","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T11:24:51","slug":"tsolov-caught-in-seven-driver-pile-up-as-red-flag-stops-baku-f2-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f2\/tsolov-caught-in-seven-driver-pile-up-as-red-flag-stops-baku-f2-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Tsolov caught in seven-driver pile-up as red flag stops Baku F2 race"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video class=\"video-js vjs-big-play-centered\" data-gp-vjs=\"1\" controls src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio-portal.b-cdn.net\/2026\/09\/big-one-f2-azerbaijao-corrida-tsolov-bandeira-vermelha-2026.mp4\"><\/video><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A confus\u00e3o generalizada que tirou Nikola Tsolov da corrida 2 da F2 em Baku (V\u00eddeo: Reprodu\u00e7\u00e3o\/DAZN)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Seven drivers were eliminated in a major accident at Turn 3<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Championship leader Nikola Tsolov said he had nowhere to go after cars collided ahead<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The crash triggered a red flag during the first of Baku\u2019s two F2 feature races<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Formula 2 Feature Race 1 in Baku was red-flagged following a major multi-car accident at Turn 3 on lap 12, eliminating <strong>Nikola Tsolov, Joshua D\u00fcrksen, Laurens van Hoepen, John Bennett, Rafael Villagomez, Ritomo Miyata and Cian Shields<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The accident occurred immediately after the Safety Car returned to the pits at the end of lap 11. Several cars made contact near the front of the group before the track became blocked, leaving the drivers behind with almost no opportunity to avoid the wreckage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Championship leader Tsolov was caught in the incident after emerging from a slow pit stop in the middle of the pack. The Campos driver told his team over the radio that <strong>there was nowhere for him to go<\/strong> before his engine stalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Campos replied that the accident was not Tsolov\u2019s fault and told the Bulgarian that the team would fight again in Saturday\u2019s second feature race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Race control stopped the race while marshals removed the damaged cars and cleared debris from the circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Slow pit stop leaves Tsolov exposed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsolov had started tenth and gained one position on the opening lap by passing Van Hoepen. He ran eighth behind Dino Beganovic before making his mandatory stop on lap seven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The stop was delayed because Tsolov had to wait for traffic moving through the pit lane. He consequently returned to the track in 13th place and directly behind the group involved in the accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsolov was also handed a <strong>five-second penalty for crossing the pit-lane white line<\/strong>, although the sanction became largely irrelevant once he retired from the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His abandonment gives Rafael C\u00e2mara an important opportunity in the championship fight. Tsolov entered Feature Race 1 with <strong>181 points, 11 ahead of C\u00e2mara<\/strong>, after the Brazilian failed to score in Friday morning\u2019s Sprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">C\u00e2mara survived the Turn 3 accident and remained in contention for a result capable of moving him ahead of Tsolov in the standings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Baku race interrupted before the pile-up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race had already experienced two retirements before the red flag. Sebasti\u00e1n Montoya spun on his way to the starting grid and stalled, preventing the Prema driver from taking the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mari Boya later stopped on the circuit on lap eight, prompting the Safety Car that preceded the multi-car accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alex Dunne had controlled the opening phase from pole, leading Rodin team-mate Martinius Stenshorne and Noel Le\u00f3n. C\u00e2mara moved ahead of Boya at the start and occupied fourth place before the pit-stop sequence began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Feature Race 1 forms part of an expanded Formula 2 programme in Azerbaijan, with a Sprint and <strong>two full-length races<\/strong> being held across the weekend. Feature Race 2 is scheduled for Saturday, with Stenshorne starting from pole ahead of Dunne and C\u00e2mara.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> continues its coverage of the Baku round through the <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f2\/\">Formula 2 section<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drivers eliminated in Baku Feature Race 1 crash<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Driver<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Team<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Status<\/th><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>N. TSOLOV<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Campos Racing<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Retired<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>J. D\u00dcRKSEN<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Invicta Racing<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Retired<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>L. VAN HOEPEN<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Trident<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Retired<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>J. BENNETT<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Trident<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Retired<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>R. VILLAGOMEZ<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Van Amersfoort Racing<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Retired<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>R. MIYATA<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Hitech<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Retired<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>C. SHIELDS<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">AIX Racing<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Retired<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why was Baku F2 Feature Race 1 red-flagged?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A multi-car accident at Turn 3 blocked the circuit shortly after a Safety Car restart on lap 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Was Nikola Tsolov responsible for the crash?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was no immediate indication that Tsolov caused the accident. He told Campos that cars collided ahead and left him with nowhere to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does Tsolov\u2019s retirement affect the F2 championship?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsolov entered the race 11 points ahead of Rafael C\u00e2mara. His retirement gives C\u00e2mara an opportunity to take the championship lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tags:<\/strong> Formula 2, Nikola Tsolov, Rafael C\u00e2mara, Azerbaijan GP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nikola Tsolov was among seven drivers forced to retire following a multi-car accident at Turn 3 immediately after a Safety Car restart<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020315977,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Baku F2 race red-flagged after seven-driver Turn 3 pile-up","42wp_featured_image_credits":"F2","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":31,"location":""}],"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[517,360,94,67],"42wp_author":[31],"class_list":["post-2799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f2","tag-azerbaijan-gp","tag-formula-2","tag-nikola-tsolov","tag-rafael-camara","42wp_author-bernardo-castro"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2799"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2799\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2800,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2799\/revisions\/2800"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020315977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2799"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=2799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}