The women’s series also returns to the scene in Shanghai for the first round of the new season. Among new recruits and several twists and turns, here’s how the F1 Academy free practice in China went.
On this Friday’s Italian night, the F1 Academy made its return to the track starting in China for the start of the third edition of the championship. The weekend in Shanghai was opened by the first and only free practice session of the women’s series, which is running on the Chinese track for the first time since its inception.
It is Doriane Pin who is the fastest of the first session of the race weekend setting the best time of 2:04.198, starting the season in the lead just as she started it during the last edition and reconfirming herself as a potential threat to beat. Following the Mercedes-supported French driver is Tina Hausmann in the Aston Martin and Chloe Chambers in the Red Bull Ford rounding out the podium. For Ferrari-supported Maya Weug, on the other hand, more references will be needed to confirm predictions that she would battle with the French driver during 2025. Nina Gademan, Ella Lloyd, Joanne Ciconte, Emma Felbermayrl, Alisha Palmowski and Chloe Chambers round out the top ten.
The chronicle of the F1 Academy free practice in China
The first minutes of the start of the F1 Academy free practice in China are not marked by particular moments. The first twists and turns come thirteen minutes after the start of the session with McLaren-supported Ella Llyod going into a spin in the second sector on entering a corner, an episode due to the still suboptimal tire temperature.
The first few minutes of the Free F1 Academy session in China unfolded without any particular noteworthy events, with a few female drivers starting right away on the track. The situation remained rather quiet until the thirteenth minute, when the first twist came: Ella Lloyd, a McLaren-supported driver, lost control of the car in the second sector of the circuit, ending up spinning at the entrance of a corner due to the suboptimal tire temperature. Despite this episode, the British driver managed to get back on track and continued to take part in the session.
Different music, however, for Lia Block who, due to a contact with rookie Rafaela Ferreira, went to the wall destroying her Williams livery car; the Brazilian driver was also forced to end the session early. The incident will be investigated by race management. Following the resumption of free practice, here comes the yellow flag in the first sector caused by Shi Wei, who loses the rear of her single-seater in Turn 3, but the wild card manages to get back on track.
Next event of the weekend for F1 Academy at 07:00 CET for qualifying that will determine the starting order for Race 1 – with the novelty of the inverted grid – and Race 2.
Photo: F1 Academy.
