F1 Academy | Saudi Arabian GP | Race 1 | Ella Loyd takes her maiden victory - Motorsport

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Ella Lloyd secured her first F1 Academy win with a masterful defensive drive at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit during the Saudi Arabian GP, in Race 1.

The McLaren driver showed remarkable composure to convert her front-row start into victory, fending off persistent challenges from Ferrari’s Maya Weug and Red Bull’s Alisha Palmowski who completed the podium places.

The reverse grid format saw Sauber’s Emma Felbermayr starting from pole position, with Lloyd alongside on the front row for the 13-lap contest that offered reduced points, with just 10 awarded to the winner.

Lights out for F1 Academy’s Race 1 at the Saudi Arabian GP

It was Lloyd who made the more decisive getaway, seizing the lead from Felbermayr as the lights went out. Palmowski made significant ground from fifth to claim third position, followed by Tommy Hilfiger’s Alba Larsen and Weug. Aston Martin’s Tina Hausmann suffered a disappointing start, dropping from third to sixth.

As the opening laps unfolded, Lloyd capitalised on the clear air ahead while Felbermayr created a bottleneck, holding up a train of cars behind. Palmowski managed to overtake Felbermayr through the final corner at the end of Lap 2, with Weug following suit as they began Lap 3.

By this point, Lloyd had established a 2.7-second advantage over her pursuers. The battle for second position remained intense, with Weug running wide at Turn 1 on Lap 4 after an unsuccessful overtaking attempt on Palmowski. Meanwhile, Larsen, Felbermayr and Mercedes’ Doriane Pin engaged in their own fierce contest through the opening chicane.

Unlucky for Chong and Block

The race was neutralised on Lap 4 when the Safety Car was deployed after Chloe Chong’s damaged Charlotte Tilbury car became stranded at the side of the circuit. Chong had been caught in an incident involving several cars that also saw Williams’ Lia Block spun around, though the American was able to continue.

Racing resumed on Lap 7, with Lloyd expertly managing the restart. She held the pack up approaching the final corner before accelerating hard on exit to maintain her lead into Turn 1. Palmowski successfully defended second place from Weug, while Pin advanced to fifth and Hausmann to sixth as Felbermayr continued to lose positions.

Pin mounted pressure on Larsen for fourth place, whilst further ahead, Palmowski staunchly defended against Weug. On Lap 9, Chambers executed a brilliant overtake around the outside of Felbermayr at Turn 1.

A heated battle for the podium

With four laps remaining, Pin finally claimed fourth position with an incisive move on the inside of the final corner. As Pin closed on the leading trio, Palmowski drew right up to race leader Lloyd, while Weug temporarily lost ground.

Weug utilised the slipstream down the main straight to rejoin the battle for the lead, with the top three covered by just seven-tenths of a second as Lap 11 began. Behind them, Pin was setting purple sectors, hoping that a battle ahead might create an opportunity.

Palmowski couldn’t find a way past Lloyd and eventually surrendered second place to Weug at the start of Lap 12 as Pin continued to set fastest laps, bringing her into contention for a podium finish.

As the final lap commenced, the leading quartet had split into two pairs: Weug pursuing Lloyd, and Palmowski defending from Pin. In a thrilling climax, Weug closed dramatically on Lloyd at the final corner and utilised the slipstream for a drag race to the finish line. However, the Welsh McLaren driver held firm to claim her maiden victory.

Palmowski completed the podium in third, narrowly ahead of Pin in fourth. Larsen finished fifth, followed by Hausmann, Chambers and Gademan, who rounded out the points-scoring positions in the first race of the weekend.