After a Thrilling Start in Shanghai, F1 Academy Delivered More Drama in Jeddah.
Collisions, a First-Time Winner, and an Emerging Title Fight Took Centre Stage
The 2025 F1 Academy championship intensified in Jeddah, as the second round saw yet another new race winner, making it four different victors from the first four races. With the competition wide open, a thrilling championship battle is already beginning to take shape.
One hot track walk in Jeddah, done. ✅
Round 2 is officially underway — let’s go. 👊#F1Academy #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/aTdOeLfA6r
— F1 Academy (@f1academy) April 17, 2025
Qualifying: Chambers Took Pole Ahead of Pin
Chloe Chambers claimed pole position in Jeddah with a commanding lap, edging out Doriane Pin and Maya Weug in a tightly contested qualifying session.
British driver Ella Lloyd, supported by McLaren and racing for Rodin Motorsport, was the first to set a time, setting a 2:06.550 despite struggling with brake lock-up.
Moments later, Weug raised the pace, edging closer to the morning’s free practice benchmark.
But just seven minutes into the session, the first major twist arrived: Lia Block lost control in the final corner and hit the wall, reporting reduced grip compared to the earlier session. It was another tough break for the American, who had also missed qualifying in Shanghai following a collision in free practice.
After the red flag, Lloyd resumed strongly and temporarily returned to the top of the timesheets, only to be displaced by a charging Weug, who was just 0.051s quicker.
Then came a standout lap from Chambers, who stunned with a 2:05.097, bettering her free practice time and snatching provisional pole.
Lloyd, pushing hard to recover from earlier errors, had to settle for third after Palmowski put in a strong showing to slot in behind Chambers.
Meanwhile, Weug attempted a bold strategy, echoing Pin’s approach from China: she returned to the track on used tyres with six minutes remaining, reclaimed fourth, but then lost the position to an impressive late run by Alba Hurup Larsen.
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Race 1: Lloyd Beats Weug to Take Her First Career Victory
Lloyd took her first F1 Academy victory during the first race at Jeddah, where the grid was inverted.
Starting second, the Rodin team driver immediately overtook Emma Felbermayr, who started on pole for the first time.
After overtaking, Lloyd held firmly on to first position. She showed excellent pace and remained in the lead until the chequered flag.
The race tested the 19-year-old McLaren driver, with a safety car intervening on lap 3 and constant pressure from Maya Weug.
Weug tried in vain to overtake Lloyd on the last lap. Starting from the third row, she made an extraordinary comeback, recovering positions on every lap of the 13 scheduled.
The Dutchwoman gained two positions in the first lap, overtaking Felbermayr. After an intense battle with Palmowski, the Ferrari Academy member overtook the Briton on lap 12.
She tried to attack Lloyd, but finished second, reducing the gap to -3 from Pin, who finished fourth with the fastest time on the track.
Pin faced several difficulties during the race, fighting first with Hausmann, then with Felbermayr and finally with Larsen, whose defence was condemned by the Frenchwoman.
Felbermayr’s performance was disappointing. She started from pole position, but finished outside the points in ninth place.
Chloe Chong and Courtney Crone were forced to retire due to an accident caused by Crone involving Block, who was uninjured. Crone received a 10-second penalty. Wild card Farah Alyousef finished 16th after being penalised for a double false start with 15 seconds added to her lap time.
Race 2: Maya Wueg Triumphs
Weug took her first win of the season, triumphing in race 2 at Jeddah. The Ferrari and MP Motorsport driver ended the weekend on a high following yesterday’s second-place finish behind Lloyd.
Weug finished less than five seconds behind Chloe Chambers, who crossed the finish line first but was penalised by five seconds. Completing the podium was Doriane Pin.
The penalty imposed on Chambers was handed down due to an incident involving her and Weug. She was forced off the track at turn 12 on lap three. The two had been battling it out since lap two, with Weug trying to pass Chambers, who started from pole position, to take the lead.
After the collision at turn 12, Pin overtook Weug and moved into second place. However, she immediately fought back, passing Pin at turn 1 on lap 4.
Despite the final efforts of Pin, who tried to retake second place, Weug took the victory.
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A Thrilling Weekend in Jeddah
It was a weekend full of excitement thanks to spectacular overtaking and uncertainty up to the last lap. Following the reverse grid, there was no lack of challenges on track. Each moment throughout the weekend was exciting for fans and enthusiasts alike.
Round 2 is done, five more to go. The title race is still wide open.
Where’s your favourite driver in the standings after Jeddah? 📊 #F1Academy #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/nrPSIQGUA8
— F1 Academy (@f1academy) April 20, 2025
F1 Academy will return for its third round in Miami from May 2 to 4. Who will step onto the podium next?
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Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / PsnewZ
Recording Date: 19.04.2025
