F1 ACADEMY – SINGAPORE RACE 1: LIA BLOCK WINS IN A CHAOTIC RACE
The first race of the F1 Academy weekend in Singapore was eventful from start to finish, marked by several neutralizations, numerous retirements, and incidents on a slippery track. Starting from pole position, Lia Block managed to keep her composure to secure an important victory ahead of Maya Weug and Chloé Chambers, who is under post-race investigation.
A delayed start and a tricky track
The start was delayed by twenty minutes following a red flag caused during the Porsche Cup Asia. When the cars finally got underway, conditions were far from ideal: the still dusty track offered little grip, and the opening laps clearly showed it. From the very first corner, several drivers ran wide, Nobels and Block among them, while mistakes and off-track excursions multiplied throughout the field.
Billard caught out in the early laps
After a solid weekend so far, Lisa Billard endured a nightmare race. After a poor start, the French driver lost four positions right away before being sent into a spin by Alba Larsen at the restart of the first Safety Car, an incident that earned the Danish driver a ten-second penalty. Lisa Billard was eventually forced to retire, as she had been dealing with an engine problem from the start.
A series of incidents and two safety car interventions
The first Safety Car was deployed after Nicole Havrda crashed into the wall just a few laps into the race. The restart did not improve the situation: Palmowski, who was making a strong comeback, hit the barriers hard at the entry of Turn 9, causing a second neutralization.
In the pack, Rafaela Ferreira also experienced a difficult race, forced to stop twice due to a mechanical issue before being shown the black-and-orange flag. At the front, Nobels cut the first corner while defending against Chloé Chambers, while Lloyd received a five-second penalty.
Block holds on, Weug takes advantage
At the restart, Lia Block never really faltered. Solid in the lead, the American controlled the pressure despite the low grip and multiple restarts. Behind her, Maya Weug produced an excellent comeback from eighth place, crossing the finish line in second and gaining three valuable points on Doriane Pin in the championship fight. Chambers completed the podium, although she remains under investigation.
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