Emma Felbermayr is now a two-time race winner in F1 Academy. The Rodin Motorsport and Audi-sponsored driver delivered a masterclass in driving, defending and seizing opportunities throughout the race. Alisha Palmowski and Payton Westcott were a close second and third. Now with two podium finishes in the opening weekend, Felbermayr leads the F1 Academy championship. Find all the F1 Academy Race 2 results and key moments of the season-opening round at the Chinese GP below.
Early Movers and Shakers
After winning Saturday’s reverse grid race, Nina Gademan started on the grid in their initial qualifying position of eighth place. She had a great start off the line, making up two spots before the first corner and continuing to set the pace. Thanks to the slipstream, Ella Lloyd was able to follow behind the Dutch and get closer to the front pack. Unfortunately for Natalia Granada, coming off a podium on debut, the Prema Racing driver’s wing made contact with Rafaela Ferreira. With the wing stuck under the car, Granada was forced to head into the pit lane for a replacement at the end of the first lap.
Meanwhile, Palmoski had a less-than-ideal start, losing the lead immediately as she was passed by Alba Larsen and Felbermayr. Larsen was quick to pull ahead, while Westcott, Palmowski, and Felbermayr battled for the remaining podium spots. But there were plenty of laps left to catch the Ferrari-sponsored car.
Mid-Race Safety Car Bunches Up the Pack
It had been a clean race by the time it reached the halfway point. That all changed when Jade Jacquet had a massive lock-up and misjudged the braking distance. Already so close behind Esmee Kosterman, Jacquet had no time to evade before running straight into the back of the LEGO vehicle. Both drivers were okay, but their cars were too damaged to continue.
With the safety car coming out while the cars were recovered, all the remaining drivers were together again for the restart. Over the radio, Palmowski told her team there might be a chance for her to take advantage of the situation.
“Felbermayr is quicker than Alba as well, so they will fight. I will try and pick up the pieces.” – Alisha Palmowksi, Campos Racing
However, Palmowski spoke too soon. A couple of laps later, the safety car ended, and we were back racing again. But Larsen had not managed tyre temperature and was off at the last corner before going over the finish line to restart. Larsen rejoined the track but dropped down to eighth position.
Final Incident Creates An Opportunity
Rachel Robertson, who had already gone off-road once, had another incident in which she came in too hot and collided with another driver. Unfortunately, her misjudgement led to both her and the Chinese wildcard entry, Shi Wei, retiring from the race.
This incident meant that the yellow flags remained out until the final lap. That gave Palmowski one last chance to pass Felbermayr, the Audi driver doing whatever they could to hold on to the lead. The half-second gap started to disappear along the back straight, but Felbermayr defended hard to secure her win at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Due to a schedule change, the next time we expect to see F1 Academy racing is in Montreal, Canada, in May. That leaves a lot of time between now and then for drivers to train and prepare, especially now that there is someone ahead in the points. Can Felbermayr extend her lead, or will another contender come up through the ranks? We will find out when more F1 Academy action returns.