Weug comes out on top at drying Zandvoort in F1 Academy qualifying

Photo: F1 Academy

A drying track set up an open battle for pole in F1 Academy qualifying at Zandvoort, in which Maya Weug prevailed.

Qualifying started sunny but with a soaked track surface, as proven by a red flag-causing off for Hitech GP’s Aiva Anagnostiadis.

Rodin Motorsport’s Chloe Chong was first to set out on wet-weather tyres after the restart. A 1m48.856s benchmark was set by Lia Block six-and-a-half minutes in, then ART Grand Prix team-mate Aurelia Nobels pipped her by 0.051 seconds.

MP Motorsport’s Weug was next to top the times, setting a 1m48.399s, with Rodin’s Ella Lloyd briefly into second after posting a 1m48.734s.

Prema’s Tina Hausmann swiftly beat her with a 1m48.599s, and Weug lowered the pace to 1m48.053s on her next lap as others struggled to improve and chose to pit.

Putting on slick tyres was risk versus reward. There was a waiting game as teams wanted rivals to use the tyres, demonstrate the grip levels and displace more water from the standard racing line before they headed out.

But early adopters got their rubber up to temperature before some drivers even left the pits. Doriane Pin stuck with her first set of tyres and jumped to first place with a 1m47.784s, with team-mate Nina Gademan going third fastest.

Block was the first back out setting flying laps, and was initially way off the pace. She also revealed how tricky turn one was as after hitting a wet patch on the pit straight in the shade she locked up multiple times and took the turn one escape road at high speed.

However when she reached the middle sector she went faster than anyone, and team-mate Courtney Crone’s first lap on slick tyres put her third.

Campos Racing’s Alisha Palmowski moved onto provisional pole with 10 minutes to go by setting a 1m45.441s, and Nobels was second with a 1m46.981s. Several drivers had turn one offs, and spins later in the lap, and Nobels got beached in the turn seven gravel.

Red flags waved and Block’s 1m46.195s stood as the fastest lap, as Palmowski’s best was deleted for exceeding track limits at the banked turn three and she dropped to 14th.

Hausmann was second for the restart, and further drying meant session-best sectors were set immediately.

Pin and Gademan broke into the 1m42s with five-and-a-half minutes remaining, then Lloyd posted a 1m41.645s and Weug improved to 1m41.916s. Block was fifth, setting a 1m43.058s.

Chambers led with five minutes to go, beating Lloyd by 0.121s as Rodin’s Emma Felbermayr also broke the 1m42s barrier. Lloyd responded with a 1m41.197s, Chambers’ next lap was a 1m41.062s, then Felbermayr streaked ahead with a 1m40.543s.

Palmowski got within 0.228s of that three minutes before the end, as traffic became an increasing issue. Pin got a tow at the end of her lap and took top spot with a 1m40.515s, but behind her was Lloyd who crossed the line in 1m39.911s.

Weug soon beat that with a 1m39.632s, which Chambers got within 0.226s of as Felbermayr improved in fourth. Pin was pushed further down the order, with Palmowski lapping 0.044s shy of Weug.

Block had clear air and set a 1m39.279s with 30s to go, and just before the clock hit zero Weug reclaimed pole with a 1m38.975s. Crucially, she got to do another flying lap.

Chambers set a 1m39.114s as the chequered flag waved, and a 1m38.873s then made Palmowski fastest. The next pole contender to cross the line was Block, recording a 1m39.126s, then Lloyd snuck into second with a 1m38.963s.

Weug’s final lap was 0.039s faster than Palmowski’s, earning her a second pole of the season. Points leader Pin returned to the top five when she finished her final lap, 0.001s quicker than Block, and Hausmann went seventh fastest.

In-season testing at Zandvoort had been topped by Weug, while in practice she was only bettered by Chambers and by a slim 0.15s.

Qualifying results