Alisha Palmowski secures a crucial pole position as F1 Academy heads to Zandvoort for the final Dutch Grand Prix.
The Red Bull Racing-backed driver topped the session, with a blistering 1:40.911s. Closely behind her, Alba Larsen and Natalia Granada rounded out the top three, for Sunday’s Feature Race.
As the session began, rain was falling around Zandvoort, with most drivers remaining in the pit lane while they let the showers subside.
Even as the showers stopped, drivers stuck with the wet-weather tyres and remained tentative about heading out of the pits.
Larsen led the early runs
Five minutes into the session, the first drivers embarked onto the track, with Larsen leading the field in the first push lap. Her initial time was 1:48.309s, but as the drivers filed out, it was a short-lived advantage.
Alisha Palmowski put in a time of 1:48.791s, the championship leader starting the weekend strong but still six tenths off of Larsen out front.
The conditions still were far from optimal as Palmowski took a run through the gravel on her next lap.
Nina Gademen was the first to get close to Larsen, putting a time just one tenth behind the Ferrari-supported driver. However, it was Palmowski on a flying lap who unseated Larsen at the top with a time of 1:48.038s.
Wild Card entry Zoe Florescu set her first qualifying lap time in F1 Academy. A time of 1:49.364s placed her thirteenth early in the session.
With 15 minutes left in the session, the field made their way back into the pits, looking for a tyre change and a second opportunity to fight for pole in the second half of the session.
Larsen said on her radio that it was still too wet for slicks. However, as Lloyd made her way out on track with adjusted tyre temperature, she set a flying lap of 1:41.131s, putting the potential for slick tyres on the horizon.
Megan Bruce was one of the first to pull the trigger; with 12 minutes left in the session, she said on her radio that slicks were the right option.
Red Flag
Granada was on a flying lap, with impressive early sectors which put her a second faster than her rivals in the early corners. However, she was forced to abandon the lap as Lisa Billard lost the rear of her car in Turn 2. Beaching the Gatorade-sponsored machinery in the gravel subsequently brought out the Red Flag.
With ten minutes left in the session, the green flags were brought out, and the drivers made their way back onto the track. While the surface wasn’t completely dry, most drivers switched from wet-weather tyres to slicks.
Another red flag was brought out with just over five minutes in the session as Rafaela Ferreira lost the car into Turn 3 in the wet conditions, hitting the barrier and pausing the session.
Ella Lloyd put in an impressive lap time of 1:45.181s, shooting her to the top of the timing sheet in the closing stages of the session. Close behind was the wildcard driver, Zoe Florescu, who slipped into second.
However, Nina Gademan knocked Lloyd off the top spot, but he was quickly beaten by Larsen; then Alisha Palmowski broke into the 1:40s, putting an impressive 0.8-second gap to those behind.
As the chequered flag came out, Palmowski held the top spot with Larsen and Granada rounding out the top three.
READ MORE: F1 Academy gears up for a farewell round at the Dutch Grand Prix
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