Report
Lloyd quickest on opening day of Jeddah in-season testing
Ella Lloyd was in fine form on her first visit to the Jeddah as the McLaren driver led the field on the first day of in-season testing in Saudi Arabia.
Benefiting from the cooler conditions during the late-night session, the Briton was competitive throughout. Lloyd’s 2:05.367, which was set with five minutes to go, put her 0.033s ahead of Aston Martin’s Tina Hausmann.
Standings leader Doriane Pin was quickest out the gate in the opening three hours of running, delivering a 2:06.543 to lead Maya Weug by four thousandths.
SESSION 1
Sandy track conditions meant the field were slow to peel out of the pits beyond a handful of exploratory laps inside the opening hour. Lloyd was the first to get a meaningful time on the board, setting a 2:14.978 mid way through the second hour.
The McLaren driver lowered her best down to 2:08.281 across the following four laps. She soon had company out on track as Alisha Palmowski closed to within 0.179s. Lloyd’s effort was beaten in quick succession as Palmowski and her Campos Racing teammate Chloe Chambers brought the time to beat into the 2:07s.
Lloyd then put Rodin Motorsport car back on top on a 2:07.232 as the final hour of the opening session commenced. Weug was next to go fastest, completing a 2:07.081 before breaking into the 2:06s. With 20 minutes left on the clock, Pin pipped the Ferrari driver to the P1 spot, with her 2:06.543 putting her 0.049s clear at the chequered flag.
Palmowski enjoyed a successful first outing around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in third, close behind the leading two at only 0.132s adrift Pin’s effort. Lloyd was a further two tenths back in fourth ahead of fellow rookie Nina Gademan.
Chambers was sixth on a 2:07.109, followed by fellow returnees Tina Hausmann, Lia Block and Aurelia Nobels, whilst Charlotte Tilbury’s Chloe Chong completed the top 10.
SESSION 2
Pin was the first to get the ball rolling under the floodlights, setting the initial benchmark at 2:06.771 before lowering it further to 2:06.370.
As times filtered through, her PREMA Racing teammates Gademan and Hausmann slotted into the top three before Weug overhauled the Mercedes driver by 0.167s. Her 2:06.203 would remain firmly in P1 for the next half an hour as the first runs drew to a close, despite Pin closing the gap down to seven thousandths.
Palmowski then slotted herself in P2 with a lap only 0.053s off the Dutch racer’s best effort. Fellow Briton Lloyd then launched herself to the top of the timing sheets on a 2:05.912. Alba Larsen brought out the first Red Flag of the day into the second hour, stopping on track at Turn 2.
Running resumed with 45 minutes left on the clock and Palmowski soon took advantage, going fastest on a 2:05.770. Pin posted an identical lap time to the Red Bull Racing driver before going three tenths up on her next effort to regain the top spot.
Teammate Hausmann was the next to stake her claim on the best time of the day, but the Swiss racer wouldn’t stay there for long. Lloyd countered with her own fastest effort, with a 2:05.367 narrowly beating Hausmann by 0.033s.
With the top separated by four thousandths, Pin had to settle for third with 28 laps on the board. Weug finished fourth ahead of Palmowski, Emma Felbermayr, Block, Gademan, Chong and Chambers rounded out the top 10, eight tenths adrift of pace-setter Lloyd.
Day 2’s running gets underway at 14:00 local time (UTC+3).