In an exhilarating display of speed and precision, Maya Weug, the prodigious Ferrari Academy driver, left her rivals in the dust during the F1 Academy qualifying round in China. Her stellar performance saw her clinch the pole position for the upcoming Race 2, to be held at the illustrious Shanghai International Circuit.
This is not Weug’s first rodeo, as the seasoned competitor is making a powerful return for her second season. She skillfully steered her Ferrari-adorned MP Motorsport vehicle to a time of 2:03.379s, leaving her nearest rival, Mercedes-backed PREMA driver Doriane Pin, four-tenths of a second behind.
The rivalry between Weug and Pin, which was the talk of the town in 2024, is set to reignite as they occupy the front row for Sunday’s Race 2. However, Race 1’s unique reverse grid format will see the competitive duo starting from the seventh and eighth spots respectively on Saturday.
Other notable performances came from 16-year-old rookie Alba Larsen, who ranked third fastest in her trendy Tommy Hilfiger-branded car. Not far behind was Red Bull Ford driver and previous F1 Academy race victor, Chloe Chambers, who claimed the fourth spot.
Alisha Palmowski, another talent nurtured by Red Bull, managed to clock the fifth fastest time towards the end of the session. Joanne Ciconte, another rookie to watch out for, came in sixth fastest in the F1 Academy car.
The seventh and eighth spots were taken by Sauber rookie Emma Felbermayr and Nina Gademan of the PREMA-operated Alpine team, respectively. Gademan’s performance has earned her the reverse grid pole for the upcoming race. The remaining positions from ninth to eighteenth were determined by their qualifying positions for both races.
Tina Hausmann, the sophomore driver representing Aston Martin, lost the reverse grid pole by a hair’s breadth, less than a tenth of a second. Meanwhile, a mere 0.930s separated the top nine in the qualifying round. Rounding up the top-10 was Chloe Chong, representing Charlotte Tilbury.
McLaren’s newest F1 Academy recruit, Ella Lloyd, managed to clinch the 11th spot, followed closely by AMEX’s Nicole Havrda. Despite ranking 13th fastest in qualifying, Rafaela Ferreira, supported by Racing Bulls, will be starting both races from the 16th spot due to a collision with Williams’ Lia Block during practice.
The drama continued as Lia Block was unable to compete due to damages to her vehicle from the practice collision. The remaining classified runners in the qualifying included Puma’s Aurelia Nobels, Haas’ Courtney Crone, Tag Heuer’s Aiva Anagnostiadis, and wildcard Shi Wei.
In related news, the F1 Academy has recently established a groundbreaking partnership with More than Equal, a move that further solidifies its commitment to promoting equality in the sport. As we wait with bated breath for the upcoming races, it is certain that the F1 Academy China qualifying has set the stage for a riveting competition.