Nina Gademan converts pole into victory in Shanghai and wins F1 Academy race 1 in the series opener in Shanghai! The victory comes full circle for the dutch racer: In 2025, Gademan lined up P8 in qualifiying, and therefore achieved a pole position start for the reverse grid in race 1. She went on to keep her lead through three separate safety car restarts only for her to have to retire on the penultimate lap due to mechanical issues. This year, victory seemed inevitable. Gademan, having qualified in P8 again, got a great start from pole and managed to hold the lead during a late safety car. She went on to cross the line first, collecting her second F1 Academy win overall.
For a potential title bid, the second year F1 Academy driver admitted that qualifiying did not play out as well as she expected. Gademan emphasized that the pace for better positions is in the car and that she is trying to aim for a top five finish in race 2 tomorrow to salvage some points.
The season’s first podium
Behind Gademan, Natalia Granada, Lisa Billard and Rafaela Ferreira completed the first two rows. The order did not hold through lap 1: Lisa Billard lost out on the start, ultimately having to concede further places and ending the race in P8. The rookies outright pace and points finish should still be encouraging for her as she attacks from P6 tomorrow in race 2. While the reshuffling saw Ferreira finish off the podium in P4, Granda managed to maximise her race to keep her P2 position, crowning her first ever F1 Academy race with champagne.
The fight for the final podium position proved to be the toughest. Payton Westcott, Alisha Palmowski and Alba Larsen all showed great pace but it was Emma Felbermayr who came up from starting in P6 and secured her second F1 Academy podium, which also doubled as the first ever podium for Audi on a Grand Prix weekend! The ninteen year old driver from Austria has one win under her belt in the series so far, and was encouraged by the show of speed in race 1.
She states, that especially in direct comparison with Red Bull’s Alisha Palmowski and Ferrari’s Alba Larsen, she felt on pace and possibly in contention for future battles at the front. With Gademan, Granada and Felbermayr, the podium for F1 Academy race 1 in Shanghai could prove the beginning of a close field and multi-way title battle.
Alba Larsen misses out
F1 Academy Race 1 did not go as hoped for Alba Larsen. The Ferrari driver was rapid during all previous sessions, qualifiying on the front row for the main race and thereby starting in P7 for the reverse grid. However, her fight up the grid fell short when she clipped Felbermayr’s rear and broke her own front wing during an optimistic attempt to overtake. Felbermayr got away unscathed but Larsen immediately lost significant grip and fell down the order.
Her damage brought out a safety car, where the pieces of her front wing were collected. During the restart on lap 9, the consequences of her loss were visible as she went off through the gravel and lost more positions. In the end, she had to box and get a new front wing fitted, leaving her to come out behind the pack and finishing last with about 30 seconds to the next car. While she will not collect points for it, her setting the fastest lap of the race at least prevents the point from going to another contender. She will have to take this away as the main positive and focus on maximising her result in race 2 tomorrow.
A clean start
The season opener of any racing series often proves troublesome and hectic. For the F1 Academy race 1, the predictions for a field stacked with rookies and different racing backgrounds surely included a handful of racing incidents and retirements. However, the field immediately proved it’s competitiveness all around. Every driver completed the race and the battles were kept clean. Lisa Billard and Ava Dobson fought it out on track with precision, Felbermayr pulled of a perfect last lap switchback on Ferreira. Rookie Mathilda Paatz impressed as she clawed up through the field after she had to end qualifiying early with car issues. Palmowski, Westcott and Lloyd were in the mix at all times and brought home points for their respective teams and championship bids with P5, P6 and P7. It bodes well for an exciting and tight season of F1 Academy, with race 2 in Shanghai still to come!
