Report
Palmowski sets the pace on Day 2 of Jeddah in-season test
Alisha Palmowski put a rookie to the top of the timing sheets once again, as the Red Bull Racing driver led the way on Day 2 of in-season testing in Jeddah.
Recording a 2:05.040 in the opening session, Palmowski pipped Maya Weug to the quickest time of the day by 0.041s. However, the situation would reverse in the evening running, with the Ferrari driver’s 2:05.330 beating the Briton by four thousandths.
SESSION 1
Emma Felbermayr got straight down to business from the start, putting down a 2:13.338. The Kick Sauber driver’s effort was beaten in quick succession by Ella Lloyd, Weug and Chloe Chong, before Lloyd regained the top spot on a 2:08.764.
The McLaren driver improved further to 2:07.794 but the fastest effort continued to changed hands inside the opening 30 minutes of running. Tina Hausmann was next to move into P1 until Weug broke into 2:06s to go over seven tenths clear of second-place Nina Gademan.
Doriane Pin superseded her PREMA Racing teammate, slicing Weug’s advantage down to 0.059s. The Ferrari driver put some distance in between herself and Pin, improving to a 2:06.059s before returning to the pits at the end of her eight-lap stint.
Remaining out on track, Pin steadily brought the gap back down before the #28 Mercedes seized the top spot with a 2:05.946, going 0.113s faster than Weug.
As the leading pair returned to their garages, Palmowski and Lloyd each moved inside the top four, with the two separated by only 0.003s.
The track soon began to fill back up with an hour and a half left on the clock. Lloyd laid down a 2:05.632 to go quickest once again until Palmowski responded with a 2:05.415 to go two tenths faster than her fellow Briton.
The Red Bull Racing driver lowered the time to beat down to 2:05.040 across her next three consecutive personal bests to sit half a second clear of Weug, who slotted her #64 car into second.
READ MORE: Lloyd pleased by progress at Rodin after topping Day 1 in Jeddah
Weug cut the deficit down to 0.041s inside the final 10 minutes, but nobody could overhaul Palmowski’s time by the chequered flag. The two gapped the rest of the field by almost three tenth, as Lloyd followed suit in third.
Pin was fourth, narrowly ahead of Chloe Chambers, who slotted into the top-five on her penultimate lap of the session. Hausmann ended up sixth, leading Lia Block, Gademan, Felbermayr and Alba Larsen, who completed the top 10.
SESSION 2
After an hour break, Gademan led the field out under the floodlights, setting the initial benchmark at 2:06.266. Times soon tumbled in the opening half an hour, with Pin going 0.197s clear on a 2:06.069.
Despite laying down back-to-back improvements, the Mercedes driver was leapfrogged by Palmowski. Logging two personal bests, Palmowski’s 2:05.375 put her top by two tenths to Campos Racing teammate Chambers. Weug quickly responded with a 2:05.330, which remained untouchable to the chequered flag.
The Red Flags were waved into the second hour after Rafaela Ferreira found the Tecpro barrier at Turn 9. Running resumed after the Racing Bulls car was recovered, as focus switched from outright times to mileage.
There were still some improvements to be found as Lloyd climbed inside the top three but was soon demoted by Chambers in third, who closed to within 0.067s of Weug.
Two further interruptions to proceedings would come inside the final 35 minutes. Firstly, Palmowski hit the barrier and stopped on track, with Lloyd joining her as she tried to avoid the stricken #21 car.
Green Flag conditions would resume for a handful of minutes until Gademan hit the barrier out of Turn 5. The session was not restarted, leaving Weug top of the timesheets. Palmowski ended up 0.045s down on the Dutch racer, with Chambers following close behind in third.
Lloyd wound up fourth ahead of Pin, Felbermayr, Hausmann, Block, Joanne Ciconte and Larsen, who rounded out the day in 10th.
The third and final day of running at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit gets underway at 10:00 local time (UTC+3) tomorrow.