Latest news with #Weug
Arab News
20-04-2025
- Automotive
- Arab News
Verschoor storms to F2 victory as Weug claims historic win in F1 Academy in Jeddah
JEDDAH: Richard Verschoor produced a masterclass in tire management and racecraft to win the Formula 2 feature race in Jeddah, fighting back from ninth on the grid to claim victory for MP Motorsport. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The Dutch driver rebounded impressively after heartbreak in Saturday's Sprint Race, where he crossed the line first but was demoted to second by a five-second penalty for an earlier incident. Determined to make amends, Verschoor ran the alternative strategy, starting on medium tires and extending his first stint deep into the race. Despite his aging rubber, Verschoor consistently set fastest laps, showing blistering pace while others pitted early for fresher tires. His strategy paid off, and after switching to supersofts, he rejoined the track just a few seconds behind leader Jak Crawford with four laps to go. Once his tires were up to temperature, Verschoor rapidly hunted down the DAMS Lucas Oil driver, closing within DRS range and executing a clinical move into Turn 1 on the final lap to secure a stunning win. The victory moves Verschoor into the lead of the Drivers' Championship, with Josep Maria Marti — who finished fifth in the Feature Race — second overall and Leonardo Fornaroli third. Earlier in the day, Maya Weug made history by becoming the first Ferrari driver to win an F1 Academy race in Jeddah, prevailing in a dramatic and incident-packed Race 2. Starting from pole for the first time in the series, Chloe Chambers looked to have the race under control after a clean getaway, keeping ahead of a fierce scrap for second between Weug and Mercedes' Doriane Pin. Amid soaring track temperatures, Weug showed relentless pace, reeling Chambers in and battling wheel-to-wheel for the lead by Lap 3. Weug briefly seized the lead before being forced wide by Chambers, who was later handed a five-second penalty for the incident. That opened the door for an intense battle between Weug and Pin, with the two repeatedly exchanging P2 as Chambers tried to maintain her advantage. Despite crossing the finish line first, Chambers' time penalty demoted her to second, handing victory to Weug. Pin completed the podium for Mercedes. The race saw further drama as Rafaela Ferreira was hit with a 10-second penalty for spinning Emma Felbermayr of Kick Sauber, dropping both out of the points contention. Behind the front three, Alisha Palmowski secured fourth place, with Alba Larsen fifth and Aston Martin's Tina Hausmann sixth. Alpine's Nina Gademan finished seventh, while Ella Lloyd was promoted to eighth after Ferreira's penalty. Joanne Ciconte and Chloe Chong rounded out the points-scoring positions. With her victory, Weug also snatched a narrow lead at the top of the F1 Academy standings, setting up an intriguing battle for the rest of the season.
Arab News
19-04-2025
- Automotive
- Arab News
Lloyd narrowly holds off Weug to take thrilling maiden victory in Jeddah
JEDDAH: McLaren's Ella Lloyd thrived under intense pressure from the more experienced Maya Weug to secure her first F1 Academy win on Saturday, taking victory in race one around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Starting from the front row, the British driver got the better of her Rodin Motorsport teammate Emma Felbermayr at turn one to storm into the lead. From there, she managed the race calmly, pulling clear as battles raged behind her and building a solid advantage over her rivals. Felbermayr slipped back, losing P2 to Red Bull Racing's Alisha Palmowski before Weug worked her way into the top three. Meanwhile, series leader Doriane Pin found herself locked in a fierce battle for P6 with Tina Hausmann. But just as the fight was heating up, disaster struck for Williams driver Lia Block — starting from the back of the grid after a qualifying crash — who was tagged from behind by Courtney Crone. The incident brought out the safety car and forced Chloe Chong into retirement after she sustained damage while trying to avoid the collision. Lloyd handled the restart well, but as race one approached its conclusion, Weug — having passed Palmowski for P2 — began closing the gap rapidly. The pair engaged in a thrilling drag race on the final lap, but Lloyd held firm, crossing the line just 0.176 seconds ahead of the Ferrari driver. Palmowski similarly fended off Pin to secure the final podium spot, with Alba Larsen taking P5 ahead of Aston Martin's Tina Hausmann. Chloe Chambers, who was to start race two from pole, finished seventh, leaving Nina Gademan to claim the final point in race one.
