Home Formula 4F1 Academy Weug wins in wet after passing Pin in F1 Academy race two in Singapore

Weug wins in wet after passing Pin in F1 Academy race two in Singapore

by Ida Wood

Photo: Getty Images

Maya Weug passed Doriane Pin in the wet, with slick tyres, to win F1 Academy’s second race in Singapore.

The title rivals shared the grid’s front row and Pin made the stronger start on the inside to take the lead into turn one despite locking up.

Ella Lloyd got alongside Chloe Chambers for third, and they ran side-by-side through to the straight following turn five where Lloyd moved ahead. Emma Felbernayr, who had cleared Lisa Billard, attacked Chambers under braking for turn seven but she held on. Weug locked up late in the lap and Pin pulled away, with even more clear track between her and Lloyd.

Pin set successive fastest laps as she grew her lead, which stood at 1.9 seconds after six laps. Weug snatched the fastest lap from her, but Pin responded by going quickest again to pull 2.29s clear. At this point rain started to fall at turn 13, and while it became heavier it did not initially spread out around the track.

The safety was called out on lap 11 of 14 when Nicole Havrda crashed out, turning the race into more of a strategic fight.

Lloyd and Chambers had only been 0.9s behind Weug after lap six, but after Chambers tried passing into turn one they lost over three seconds in one lap and the rain made the gap grow even more.

The first to pit for wet tyres did so on lap nine, and most were already outside of the points positions. After Chambers’ next attempts to pass Lloyd on lap 10 led to her going off, she pitted but had a lengthy stop. Billard and Aurelia Nobels also gave up their places in the points to switch tyres, and the group returned to track over 45s behind the last non-pitter.

Their efforts to recover places were not helped by the safety car picking up Chambers rather than Pin, and when racing resumed on lap 14 the top 10 had only just bunched together and Chambers still had two seconds to make up on Rafaela Ferreira in 10th.

During the safety car period, Pin missed the call from her team to pit and Weug feinted an entry into the pitlane on the next lap to see if the leader would react.

Ferrari evaded Chambers on the final lap, instead passing Courtney Crone for ninth as the slick-shod runners fought for position in the dry.

Weug went down Pin’s inside on the run to turn seven and reclaimed the lead, as Nina Gademan passed Alba Hurup Larsen for fifth. Once they reached the rain, Larsen had a go at Felbermayr.

Victory for Weug puts her nine points behind Pin with one round remaining.

Palmowski, championship leader earlier in the year, had her first points-free weekend. From the back she rose to 13th in three laps but a turn one off undid some progress. She made her way up to 10th as the rain arrived, but was then first to pit and headed for the wrong box. The time loss consigned her to 15th.

Race results (14 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Maya Weug MP Motorsport 31m42.238s
2 Doriane Pin Prema +0.409s
3 Ella Lloyd Rodin Motorsport +1.316s
4 Emma Felbermayr Rodin Motorsport +2.610s
5 Alba Hurup Larsen MP Motorsport +3.020s
6 Nina Gademan Prema +3.373s
7 Chloe Chong Rodin Motorsport +6.368s
8 Joanna Ciconte MP Motorsport +6.871s
9 Rafaela Ferreira Campos Racing +7.957s
10 Courtney Crone ART Grand Prix +8.897s
11 Chloe Chambers Campos Racing +9.312s
12 Aurelia Nobels ART Grand Prix +12.083s
13 Megan Bruce Hitech GP +36.890s
14 Tina Hausmann Prema +44.593s
15 Alisha Palmowski Campos Racing +50.325s
16 Lisa Billard Hitech GP +54.148s
17 Lia Block ART Grand Prix +54.622s
Ret Nicole Havrda Hitech GP
Fastest lap: Pin, 2m03.587s

Championship standings
1 Pin 151   2 Weug 142   3 Chambers 99   4 Lloyd 101   5 Palmowski 73   6 Gademan 60   7 Larsen 58   8 Hausmann 46   9 Felbermayr 37   10 Block 33