A chaotic race in the daylight of Marina Bay saw Williams-backed Lia Block walk away with victory in Race 1 of F1 Academy‘s Singapore Grand Prix.
The American driver secured her maiden victory in F1 Academy in a dominant fashion, leading every lap of Race 1 in Singapore.
Sunday’s pole-sitter, Maya Weug, showed incredible pace and talent to move her way up the grid from eighth place, while Chloe Chambers came home in third to score crucial points.
Prior to the race even beginning, there were interruptions as barrier repairs took longer than expected, causing a 20-minute delay before the action could commence.
As the drivers prepared for the penultimate race one of the season, team-mates Block and Aurelia Nobels lined up on the front row, setting the stage for a thrilling Lap 1 battle.
As the lights went out, Block and Nobels got an equal start and fought for the lead into Turn 1. Both drivers failed to make the corner, taking to the run off area and rejoining the track safely.
Behind them Weug had an amazing launch off the line, moving herself from eighth to fifth just behind Chambers.
At the end of Lap 1, the Safety Car was brought out as Nicole Havrda hit the wall early in the lap, leaving her car stranded in the tyre barrier.
The Safety Car retreated into the pits at the end of the second lap, leaving Block to restart the field on the tricky streets of Singapore. With her team-mate close behind, Block created a good gap to the rest of the field, immediately pulling away on the Safety Car restart.
Behind her, Chambers and Emma Felbermayr battled for the final podium place; however, the American ran wide at Turn 1. Chambers ultimately lost two positions for her risky move.
An unsung hero of the race six laps in was Red Bull-backed Alisha Palmowski. The rookie started in last place but had made her way up to ninth place in only a few laps.
Overtakes in Singapore are often few and far between due to the track’s nature; however, Laps 6 and 7 provided several quality overtakes. At the end of Lap 6, Weug manoeuvred to put her MP Motorsport car into second place, on course to continue her string of points haul in Singapore.
Behind her, Ella Lloyd and Chambers were locked in an intense battle for fourth, with the pair touching wheels but keeping it fair.
Lap 8 saw the second Safety Car of the day as Palmowski and Wildcard entry Lisa Billard both stopped on track, in separate incidents. Palmowski, meanwhile, was having a strong race until she made contact with the wall, ending her running.
Billard endured an issue as black smoke billowed from her car. Under Safety Car conditions, Ella Lloyd was given a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
Following the end of the Safety Car, Block continued to lead the field, with Weug behind. The Dutch driver sat seven hundredths behind the race leader with a few laps remaining.
Behind them, Chambers made her way up into the podium places as she passes Nobels into Turn 1. Unfortunately, the Brazilian went off track and lost another position.
On Lap 13 Rafaela Ferreira became the second Campos to retire. The Brazilian had stopped on track twice but had managed to continue racing until she was called into the pit lane to retire.
Elsewhere in the field, the top three had managed to create a three-second gap to Lloyd in fourth, allowing them to fight without pressure from behind in the final stages of the race.
Chambers was right on the tail of her championship rival, Weug. Throughout the final lap, the American placed the Dutch driver under immense pressure, forcing her to defend extensively.
But right at the front, Block claimed her first race win in F1 Academy, leading from lights out to the chequered flag. Behind her, Weug showed strong pace and resilience to keep Chambers at bay. The American, though, still scored valuable points, moving up from fifth on the grid.
Championship leader Pin finished in fifth, being outscored by both of her championship rivals. Lloyd was demoted to seventh following her penalty. Nina Gademan completed the points.
READ MORE – Maya Weug takes pole in Singapore F1 Academy qualifying
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