Qualifying unfolded under a sense of uncertainty as the paddock carried lingering questions from the earlier red flags from F1’s Free Practice 2. With marshalls still keeping a cautious eye on the circuit infrastructure, there was no guarantee this short F1 Academy session would run smoothly. Thankfully, the session went uninterrupted, and the field wasted no time making the most of the green flag.

New Faces Appear In Vegas

This weekend brings two new faces into the mix. Payton Westcott becomes the seventh and final wildcard entry of the year, taking on her debut in front of a home crowd. Joining her is Rachel Robertson, stepping in for the injured Aiva Anagnostiadis and settling quickly into the rhythm of the car despite the high-pressure circumstances.

A Fierce Fight For Provisional Pole

The opening laps set an early benchmark as Maya Weug fired herself to the top. She chipped away at her own time with every run, helped by a well-timed tow from teammate Alba Larsen. But the grip on provisional pole was fragile. Moments later, Doriane Pin surged to the top, reshuffling the order and raising the intensity across the pit lane.

Then came another twist. Still riding the adrenaline from a tricky incident in practice, Chloe Chambers delivered a punchy lap that vaulted her into P1, much to the delight of her home crowd. What followed was a rapid exchange at the top of the timing screens, with Chambers, Weug, and Pin trading purple sectors in a session that refused to settle.

A Late Charge Seals The Deal

As the minutes ran down, Chambers pushed further, finding yet another improvement to strengthen her hold on the top spot. The battle behind her continued to tighten, but no one could reel her in. When the final laps were done and the dust settled, it was a Campos one-two, with Alisha Palmowski slotting neatly into P2 to secure a strong team result.

With the twists and turns of this session, the stakes are only climbing from here, ahead of the next races!