F1 Academy returned after summer break at Zandvoort, with Dutch talent making history on home soil. Nina Gademan claimed her maiden win on her 22nd birthday after starting the race from reverse pole position. Maya Weug joined her in P3 to make it a double Dutch podium. Lia Block showed a precise race as well to hold the red rocket behind her.
Chaotic Race Start
The grid had barely settled before drama unfolded. Wildcard driver Kosterman was ordered to start from the pit lane due to a suspected rear tyre or pressure issue. Anagnostiadis spun on the formation lap but managed to reclaim her original spot. At the race start itself, Chong suffered an early puncture, while Chambers was pushed wide by Felbermayr, losing positions but keeping the car under control.
Two home drivers lit up the opening lap: Gademan converted her reverse grid pole into a dominant lead, while Weug launched from 8th to 5th with a rapid start. The Dutch fans were in seveth heaven as their drivers surged forward.
Hausmann Brings Out Safety Car
The first (and only) major incident came when Hausmann ran wide, clipped the kerb, and spun into the barriers. The Safety Car was deployed, neutralising Gademan’s early advantage. The Aston Martin driver apologised profusedly on the radio, taking full blame on herself.
On the restart, the local favourite kept calm and held off Block, while Pin in third made a costly error at Turn 3. By running the wide line, she allowed Lloyd to slip past and take a break from Weug’s attacks. Pin remained vulnerable and soon saw Weug surging past as well as she made an unexpected overtake in Turn 4.
By lap 7, Weug’s charge continued as she powered past Lloyd. With both full time Dutch racers now running in podium contention, the atmosphere in the grandstands got even better.
Midfield Collision Causes Penalty
While the front runners battled, the midfield was no less active. A collision between Chong and Larsen left the Dane with a broken front wing. After pitting for repairs, she was handed a 10 second time penalty by the stewards for causing the crash as well.
Further back, Kosterman impressed with a recovery drive. Starting from the pit lane, she steadily climbed into P12, overtaking Crone late in the race and nearly reaching the points.
Lloyd, meanwhile, came under attack from Chambers, who made several bold overtaking attempts. The duels included a string of minor contacts, one of which was noted by race control, but ultimately no penalties were issued.
Dutch Delight in Zandvoort
In the closing laps, Weug hunted down Block, trimming the gap to just four tenths of a second. Urged by her engineer to „give it everything,“ Block defended brilliantly to hang onto second.
Up front, Gademan remained untouchable. She not only celebrated her first-ever F1 Academy win, but did so on her 22nd birthday. It was a fairy-tale result in front of the home fans after she was declared unfit to race yesterday before further checks allowed her to start the race. With Weug crossing the line in third, it was a double podium for the Netherlands, making it a landmark moment for both drivers and their supporters.
With Weug starting on pole for the race tomorrow, will we hear the Dutch anthem more times this weekend?