The 2025 F1 Academy Las Vegas GP Race 1 was full of chaos, with a wet track, five retirements, and multiple safety car periods. While the battles on track were intense, post-race penalties have now reshaped the final results.
Palmowski disqualified after technical breach
Alisha Palmowski earned a P3 podium after a strong drive, battling hard in the closing laps with Chloe Chambers, who ultimately spun and retired on Lap 9, allowing Palmowski to cross the line in third.
However, her podium celebrations were brief. Post-race scrutineering revealed an issue with her #21 Red Bull Racing car. Officials found that the Damped Shaft Assy was incorrectly assembled, with a wrong Belleville stack configuration, violating both the series’ Sporting and Technical Regulations.
The British driver will start Race 2 on the front row alongside Chambers after qualifying second, but the disqualification in Race 1 removes the points she had gained.
Nobels promoted to P3
Palmowski’s disqualification promoted Aurelia Nobels to third, earning her first-ever F1 Academy podium. Starting from 13th on the grid, she gained 10 positions to reach the podium. This marks a milestone for the Brazilian driver, as she completes her final F1 Academy season.
The reshuffle also benefited several other drivers, such as Rachel Robertson, who moved into fourth in her debut, while Lia Block moved to fifth, and Wild Card Payton Westcott to sixth. The final Race 1 points went to Courtney Crone in seventh and Rafaela Ferreira in eighth.
Havrda penalised for pit-lane issues
Nicole Havrda also faced a post-race penalty after a pit lane procedure infringement at the start of the race. A mechanical issue kept her in the pit lane during the formation lap, preventing her from rejoining the track as required for drivers starting from the pits.
The stewards initially handed the American Express a 10-second stop-and-go penalty, but since she could not serve it during the race, they converted it into a 30-second time penalty. This adjustment dropped her from P10 to P12 in the final results.
