MP Motorsport’s Maya Weug wrapped up F1 Academy’s in-season testing on top, dominating the final day at Zandvoort. It didn’t take long for the Ferrari Junior to assert her dominance ahead of her competitors. Clocking a 1:36.789 within the opening hour of the morning session, her time was over two tenths quicker than Campos Racing’s Chloe Chambers and Alisha Palmowksi—who topped the first day of testing.
Despite a disrupted afternoon session that saw several red flags, Weug maintained her momentum from the morning to set a time 1:37.389 on her final run to pip Rodin Motorsport’s Ella Lloyd to the top by 0.093s.
Morning session
Lloyd was the first driver to set off on Qualifying simulations. Lloyd set the early benchmark with a 1:45.405 on her first flying lap, but it wasn’t long before Alba Larsen, Aurelia Nobels, and Chloe Chong began trading places at the top of the timesheets. However, it was Chong who went fastest with a 1:39.920 within the first ten minutes.
Drivers continued to improve as the times started to drop. Next to the top was Chambers who set consecutive personal best laps. But, it was Palmowski who beat Chambers to the top with a time of 1:38.136. Weug then catapulted to the top of the timings with a 1:37.601. Palmowski soon joined Weug in the 1:37s—just two tenths back from the Ferrari-backed driver.
As the first hour of the session neared its end, Weug cemented her position on top with a improved time of 1:36.789—creating a six tenths gap to Palmowski. Lloyd soon slotted into P2, decreasing the gap to 0.320s, with Chambers closely behind in P3.
Whilst focus shifted to race simulations, Rodin Motorsport’s Emma Felbermayr brought out the first red flag of the day having ran through the gravel-trap briefly. Hence, the red flag flew for a minor sweep and clean-up. With the track now clear, the session resumed. However, PREMA Racing’s Doriane Pin found the barriers at Turn 3, triggering yet another interruption to the session.
Weug’s impressive effort to claim her position on top proved enough as no other driver came close to matching her time. With Chambers managing to reach with 0.212s of the Ferrari-backed driver’s time, Palmowski finished the session in P3 as Lloyd and Rafaela Ferreira rounded up the Top 5. Following behind, Pin, Chong, Tina Hausmann, Larsen and Lia Block completed the Top 10.
Afternoon session
Within less than 20 minutes of running in the afternoon session, Block’s trip across the gravel trap at Turn 3 triggered the next red flag of the day. Setting an early benchmark, the American’s first attempt clocked a time of 1:39.182. As the session got underway once more, Lloyd claimed her spot on top with a 1:38.339 before Weug replaced her with a 1:38.005. Evidently comfortable in her car, Weug clocked five consecutive personal-best laps—improving her time to a 1:37.494.
Covering the top three was Weug, Block and Larsen—with only 0.039s separating the top two. Consequently, as testing hit the halfway mark of the second hour, the red flags flew twice more. The first was for Ferreira who hit the guardrails at Turn 9. Whilst the second was for Chong who made a trip through the gravel trap at Turn 8.
Lloyd was next to the top as she went 0.012s faster than Weug with a 1:37.482. But, the afternoon session saw more red flag interruptions as Aiva Anagnostiadis crashed at the exit of Turn 3. Similarly, Courtney Crone was next to find the barriers at Turn 3 as the red flags flew once again during the last ten minutes of the session.
Before Crone’s crash, Weug managed a final lap to firmly claim her position on top with a 1:37.389—claiming a clean sweep on the last day of in-season testing at Zandvoort. Block and Palmowski made up the top three—as Larsen, Chambers, Chong, Nobels and Pin closed out the top ten.
All to play for in Zandvoort
With three rounds remaining, Pin holds a 20-point lead over Chambers at the top of the Driver Standings. The tight competition among the top five drivers was evident throughout both days of testing, keeping the title fight wide open. In-season testing at Zandvoort would have provided a valuable chance for the F1 Academy grid to get familiar with the circuit ahead of the next round at the same venue. That track time could prove crucial as the season progresses. Up next, F1 Academy returns to Zandvoort for Round 5 of the 2025 season from August 29–31.
