Nikola Tsolov crashed out in the first turn of the main race of the Miami Formula 2 Grand Prix, but still maintained his leading position in the general standings after the first three rounds of the season, BTA reports. The Bulgarian driver of Campos Racing, who won the sprint in Miami the day before, made a strong start in rainy conditions and overtook several cars on the straight. However, in the first turn he was hit by his former teammate Tasanapol Intrapuvasak, spun and was forced to pit, unable to rejoin the race.
The incident led to the deployment of a safety car, and the Thai driver received a 10-second penalty for contact with Tsolov.
The race took place in extremely difficult weather conditions and several interruptions. After the restart, Oliver Goethe crashed, which required another safety car intervention.
The victory in the chaotic race was won by Gabriele Mini, who overtook Dino Beganovic and Rafael Camara in the closing laps.
Despite the zero in Miami, Tsolov remains the leader in the championship, albeit with only a one-point lead over Mini and Camara. Laurens van Hoopen, who was the Bulgarian's main rival in Saturday's sprint, finished 11th and is now nine points behind.