Nikola Tsolov: 'So far so good' after topping Madrid Practice

It was a positive start to the Madrid weekend for Nikola Tsolov, with the Championship leader topping Practice and what was FIA Formula 2's first session around the Madring.

The Campos Racing driver was consistently at or near the top of the timing sheets in what was a heavily impacted session following a Red Flag.

However, the Bulgarian driver was enthusiastic about his and the team's chances heading into the important Qualifying hour, and Tsolov says he is optimistic of a fight for pole.

"A very chaotic session, just like we were expecting. But I think I felt confident from the get-go in the car and confident with the track, so I was always there.

"It was all about putting the lap in at the right time, really. So I expect a lot to change for Qualifying obviously different compounds, but it's a good start and I'm happy with how we're working so far."

The Red Bull Junior Team driver also touched on Campos' preparation for the weekend, with the F2 team leaning on their F3 counterparts following a two-day test around the Madring last month.

Having data to analyse and compare to was hugely beneficial says Tsolov, who added that it meant the team wasn't starting from zero this weekend.

"F3 has been quite useful to us to check on-boards and obviously all the car-related stuff, set-up, bumps, all those things that are new to you when you jump in the car. At least you know some of those kinds of things.

"I think we've been working quite closely with the F3 team and that has been a benefit to us."

Looking ahead to Qualifying, the Campos driver said that the grid would encounter an entirely different track in terms of conditions.

The temperatures will be higher, while the switch to Soft tyres will give the drivers extra grip and confidence, which he believes could lead to further excursions as drivers find the limits.

"I think I'll take a similar approach. We expect a big jump in grip, so I'm definitely going to be pushing more in quali and then adapting to whatever the condition is in the session because as we saw, I think there's going to be a lot of offs and Red Flags probably.

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• PRACTICE: Tsolov tops Red-Flag affected Madrid opener

"The last couple of rounds haven't been easiest with penalties and things like that, so I'm just trying to get back on track as soon as we can.

"I've done the last three races with penalties consecutively. So, I'm trying to get back on track and quali is important here.

"Looking forward to having a bit more of a positive weekend and heading with better momentum into the final part of the year."