Doriane Pin, representing Mercedes, claimed victory in the opening race of the F1 Academy weekend in Canada, finishing ahead of Ella Lloyd and Emma Felbermayr. With five drivers failing to finish, the race was filled with drama. Here’s what happened during Race 1 of the F1 Academy in Canada.
Doriane Pin returned to the top step of the podium in Montréal, winning the first race of the weekend at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. This victory allowed her to reclaim the top spot in the championship standings, gaining crucial points over her rival Maya Weug, who endured a difficult weekend. Behind Pin, McLaren-supported Ella Lloyd took second place, while Emma Felbermayr celebrated her first career podium finish.
Rounding out the top 10 were Nina Gademan, Lia Block, Alba Larsen, Tina Hausmann, Alisha Palmowski, Chloe Chambers, and Aiva Anagnostiadis. The five drivers who retired from the race were Rafaela Ferreira, Joanne Ciconte, Cloe Chong, Mathilda Paatz (a wildcard entry), and Maya Weug.
Race 1 Summary of the F1 Academy
At the start, pole-sitter Chloe Chambers quickly shut down any overtaking attempts from her teammate Alisha Palmowski. Behind them, Aurelia Nobels tried to pass Doriane Pin for third but the French driver held her position. Further back, Lia Block had a rough start, dropping two spots and falling to sixth.
At the front, the battle between the two Red Bull drivers created high tension. Palmowski tried to overtake Chambers for the lead but their duel ended in contact at Turn 1. Chambers sustained front wing damage but managed to stay in the lead. This opened the door for Doriane Pin, who moved up into second place.
While the Canadian weekend brought smiles to the Mercedes driver, it was a very different story for championship leader Maya Weug. Starting from 10th, she slipped to 18th due to reliability issues that had already surfaced the previous day. The Ferrari Driver Academy driver faced a tough challenge as her title hopes took a hit.
Up front, Chambers and Pin traded the lead in a wheel-to-wheel battle. Chambers briefly retook the top spot, but Pin ultimately prevailed, followed by Ella Lloyd. Chambers received a black-and-white warning flag and eventually had to pit to replace her damaged front wing.
Further back, Alba Larsen climbed from 12th to 8th, while home driver Nicole Havrda maintained her starting position in 14th. A fierce fight for 9th emerged: Palmowski attempted a move on Chloe Chong, and wildcard Mathilda Paatz joined the action. However, the German driver crashed into the infamous Wall of Champions, bringing out the Safety Car with five laps to go.
The closing laps brought more chaos. Rafaela Ferreira rejoined the track after going off and collided with Cloe Chong, forcing the latter to retire due to engine bay damage and prompting a second Safety Car. There was also contact between Courtney Crone and Joanne Ciconte.
Race 1 of the F1 Academy weekend in Canada ended with a win for Doriane Pin, followed by McLaren-backed Ella Lloyd and Sauber-supported Emma Felbermayr, who secured her maiden podium. The next race in the all-female series is scheduled for tonight at 8:50 PM.
Photo: F1 Academy.