Doriane Pin extended her championship lead by claiming victory in the first-ever F1 Academy race in Las Vegas, in what was a Safety Car-filled drama.
F1A’s inaugural race in Las Vegas delivered pure drama from start to finish, as an early rain shower turned the iconic street circuit into a treacherous challenge for the young drivers, many of whom had completed just a single dry practice session before lights out.
The chaos unfolded before the race officially started. As the field embarked on its initial formation laps, due to a confirmed rolling start, Emma Felbermayr suffered a clutch issue, forcing the Sauber-backed driver to start from the pit lane.
Moments later, disaster struck for title contender Maya Weug. As the field bunched up, preparing to go racing, PREMA’s Tina Hausmann slammed on her brakes, resulting in a concertina effect, catching Weug out.
The Safety Car peeled in at the end of Lap 3, finally giving the field their first racing laps on Friday night.
Nina Gademan led the pack back to green, but she immediately came under heavy pressure from both her teammate and championship leader Doriane Pin as well as a fast-starting Alba Larsen.
Larsen showcased exceptional confidence in the tricky conditions, pulling off a pair of bold moves to pass both Pin and Gademan and claim the early race lead.
However, her time out front was short-lived as the rookie lost control in the final corner.
A slight brush with the wall appeared to damage her rear suspension, causing the car to snap in the final corner
With Larsen gone, Gademan reclaimed the lead, running ahead of Pin, Chambers, and Palmowski in the ever-changing conditions.
Safety Car chaos
McLaren’s Ella Lloyd makes contact with the wall after battling closely with Alisha Palmowski. Bringing out the Safety Car once more under the lights of Vegas.
After a short-lived Safety Car race, leader Nina Gademan delayed her launch until the very end of the lap, hoping to catch the field off guard.
However, Pin was alert and tucked tightly under her rear wing as they crossed the line.
As Gademan continued to struggle with pace, it wasn’t long before the championship leader Pin claimed the race lead in Vegas ahead of her teammate.
Meanwhile, Palmowski executed a clean and confident move to take third place, from her team-mate Chambers.
The battle for the final podium spot then took a dramatic turn. On Lap 10, Chambers and Palmowski made contact, sending the American into the wall.
The race unfortunately ended under Safety Car conditions, as the rain continued to intensify.
Pin was followed by her teammate Gademan, and rookie Palmowski, who rounded out the first-ever F1 Academy Las Vegas GP Podium.
PREMA have officially secured the teams’ championship for the third year running.
All eyes now turn to tomorrow’s Race 2, where the Championship will be decided. As Weug was unable to score points, her championship challenge takes yet another turn, however, the Ferrari-backed driver will be eager to give it her all tomorrow.
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