Chloe Chambers secured her maiden Formula 1 Academy pole position today, ruling a dramatic qualifying session in the sizzling Saudi heat at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The American’s searing 2:04.320 lap came late in the session, delivering Campos Racing its first pole since 2023 and claiming superiority in what had been a competitive and unpredictable session.
Weug Leads as Block Crashes Out
The session began with Ella Lloyd being the first out on track and establishing the early benchmark of 2:06.550 after five minutes. However, she had a massive lock-up in the final corner, where a strong headwind caught several drivers off guard.
Maya Weug was also an early pace-setter, lighting up the timing screens with personal bests in sector one and sector three and a session-best in sector two. Her lap of 2:05.827 placed her at the head of the order just six minutes in—briefly.
A minute later, the session was halted when Lia Block found the wall in the final sector. Her crash was a replica of Yuki Tsunoda’s earlier in F1, locking up under braking and likely front suspension failure. A typical error made across classes at this track, with drivers entering too early into the turn and not having the grip to make the corner stick. The incident was disappointing for Block, who now has to suffer another race weekend from the back of the pack.
Times Drop as Chambers, Palmowski and Pin Trade Blows
With the session restarted again, Emma Felbermayr got proceedings underway with scorching purple sector times in sector one and three-only to have Weug regain top spot on the following laps. Team-mate battles and midfield tussles spiced up the action. On lap 13, both Alisha Palmowski and Alba Hurup Larsen dipped into provisional third and fourth spot, respectively. Farah Al-Yousef, meanwhile, started her first timed run from the back, evidently without secure rhythm and also a lack of grip.
As the conditions took hold, the lap times dropped. Chloe Chambers shocked the field to post a 2:05.158 to lead the way. Despite Larsen’s strong challenge, her lap was only good enough for third. With drivers rolling through tyre change strategies and attempting to save their grip on the abrasive surface, the session fully unfolded.
Ella Lloyd pushed herself back into the top three with a clinical lap, only for Chambers yet again to up the ante—breaking into the 2:04s with a dazzling lap that would eventually prove unbeatable.
Meanwhile, Palmowski was looking promising with purple sectors in her first and second splits, but a final sector that was poorly judged saw her take too much kerb and have to contend with bouncing—resulting in a cool-down lap. Doriane Pin then stunned the paddock, vaulting to P1 with a lap made up of personal best sectors.
Late Pushes, Tight Margins, and Yellow-Flag Finish
With four minutes remaining, Chambers retook provisional pole with her final best of 2:04.320. As time ran out, the entire field launched a final try. Maya Weug, on a slow out lap and under growing pressure, could only manage a lap good enough for third. Palmowski fell just 0.020 seconds short of the top three, securing a well-fought fourth. Aiva Anagnostiadis also made a late surge up the order, but she drove to P16, and Nicole Havrda claimed 15th.
The yellow flag was shown at the line, closing the session, but nobody explained why, and at the head of the board, it was quite obvious.
Final Qualifying Top 10:
- Chloe Chambers, Campos Racing
- Doriane Pin, Prema Racing
- Maya Weug, MP Motorsport
- Alisha Palmowski, Campos Racing
- Alba Hurup Larsen, MP Motorsport
- Tina Hausmann, Prema Racing
- Ella Lloyd, Rodin Motorsport
- Emma Felbermayr, Rodin Motorsport
- Nina Gademan, Prema Racing
- Chloe Chong, ART Grand Prix
While Chambers will get the honor of leading from the front on Sunday, Saturday’s Race 1 is a reversed grid based on today’s result—a position that puts the fastest drivers in P8 and sets up plenty of action as they cut their way through. With passing chances aplenty in Jeddah and temperatures soaring, the opening race is shaping up to be a thriller before the pole-sitters take their rightful place at the front for Sunday’s feature.