After an almost month-long hiatus, Round 5 of the 2024 F1 Academy Championship gets underway at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore with the weekend’s first and only free practice session.
This weekend introduces United Kingdom’s Ella Lloyd (LLO), currently competing in ROKit FIA British Formula F4 with JHR Developments. Lloyd, who sits ninth out of 29 in the F4 championship standings, is making her F1 Academy debut with PREMA Racing as the Wild Card entry. She is competing in a special-edition F1 Academy Discover Your Driver livery to highlight the series’ commitment to encouraging increased female participation in motorsport through changing existing perceptions of the sport and inspiring young talent.
MP Motorsport’s Hamda Al Qubaisi (HAL), supported by Oracle Red Bull Racing, is also competing in a new livery, with Red Bull opting to run a special livery featuring camo colours in commemoration of the team’s 20 years in formula racing. Reportedly, the Milton Keynes-based team had previously intended to use this livery on their RB 20 cars, driven by three-time F1 world champion, Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez, but cancelled these plans to prevent the addition of extra weight to the car which could compromise their performance in the race.
As the 30-minute practice session gets underway, the drivers make their way onto the track, hoping to maximise their findings around the 4.94 km street circuit. Wild Card Ella Lloyd’s first F1 Academy session gets off to a bad start with the driver immediately struggling with a brake issue that forces her to return to the pit lane. She will be hoping that this can be quickly fixed, given her need to familiarise herself with the track.
Just about nine minutes into the practice session, the yellow flag is brought out in Sectors 1 & 2. It turns out to be a result of a spin by Rodin Motorsport’s Jessica Edgar (EDG) in the American Express livery. She will be returning to the pit lane at the end of the lap for a few precautionary checks, with some damage to the rear wing noted. Lloyd’s issues with the car also appear to be continuing with the Wild Card driver needing to pull over. Fortunately, she can continue, albeit slowly.
With the first ten minutes of the session now complete, PREMA Racing’s Maya Weug (WEU) sits at the top of the timesheet with a time of 2:05.515. She is followed by PREMA Racing teammate Doriane Pin (PIN), currently second in the driver’s championship. The standings are WEU, PUL, PIN, CHA, HAL, EDG, AAL, HAU, BLO, LOV, DEH, MAR, NOB, CHA, LLO and BUS.
Lloyds’ struggles on track continue as she brings out the yellow flag once again in Sectors 2 and 3. She, fortunately, can continue without the intervention of the marshals and will be able to continue the session. This would not have been what she would have hoped for from this session, as with less than half of the set practice time left, she had yet to set a time.
With just about twelve minutes left in the session, Lia Block has a spin, bringing out the yellow flag in Sector 2. Despite a near brush with the wall, she can continue as the track soon returns to green. Rodin Motorsport’s Abbi Pulling (PUL) is now top of the timesheet with a time of 2:04.696. She has returned to the pits, hoping to give her tyres a rest before attempting her last few practice laps.
With 20 minutes now complete, Pulling, currently first in the Driver’s Championship retains her hold on the session’s top time. She, like Weug in P2 and Pin in P3, however, has returned to the pits. The standings are PUL, WEU, PIN, CHA, MAR, LOV, HAL, HAU, SCH, BUS, BLO, NOB, AAL, DEH, EDG and LLO.
With only seven minutes left, Lloyd, who sits P15, just ahead of Edgar, again brings out the yellow flags in Sector 2. She had touched the wall after a spin but there appears to be no significant damage to her car.
Times have been rising and falling throughout the session but the trio of Pulling, Weug and Pin have managed to hold on to the positions in the top 3. With less than five minutes remaining, they return to the track, looking for any improvements or final learnings from the session.
With just about two minutes left, however, Campos Racing’s Nerea Martí goes third, getting just ahead of Weug. Weug is quick to respond, regaining the third-fastest time in the final seconds of the practice session.
As the checkered flag falls on the weekend’s only practice session, a yellow flag is brought out in Sector 1 with Hamda Al Quabaisi going wide. She is able to rejoin safely but the yellow flag remains as other drivers similarly go wide. Martí, on the other hand, has enjoyed a fantastic lap and has gone second, ahead of Pin and Weug.
With the session now complete, the standings are PUL, MAR, PIN, WEU, SCH, BLO, CHA, HAL, LOV, NOB, LLO, BUS, HAU, DEH, AAL and EDG.
The sixteen F1 Academy drivers will return to the track at 19:00 local time for qualifying, ahead of Races 1 and 2 on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
