Interview
'It was a mind game' - Weug reflects on her sensational first F1 ACADEMY victory in Yas Marina
In a race filled with drama and overtakes, Ferrari’s Maya Weug came out on top to clinch her first F1 ACADEMY win and help PREMA Racing retain their Teams' title.
Having started sixth, she progressed up to third on the opening lap, before taking the challenge to Red Bull Racing’s Hamda Al Qubaisi and pole-sitter Abbi Pulling.
By Lap 6 of 14, Weug was in the lead and drove off into the distance to create an 11.5-second gap to Pulling behind in second. Although she was on track for the largest winning margin in the series’ history, a late Safety Car meant there was a last-lap sprint to the chequered flag.
Keeping her cool, Weug maintained position to cross the finish line first and take her maiden victory in F1 ACADEMY, but also her inaugural win in single-seater racing. Describing the showdown as the “most crazy race this season”, Weug was delighted that she was finally able to stand on the top step of the podium and bring home the Teams’ title for PREMA.
“It was so hard to overtake and stay ahead, so it was really a mind game,” Weug began. “I knew the pace was there as I saw Abbi (Pulling) and Hamda (Al Qubaisi) were struggling compared to me. I had a lot of pace compared to them, but it was just difficult to get past. It was all about trying to play the game.”
On the second lap of the race, Weug made a move up the inside of Turn 6 on Al Qubaisi for second and wasted no time chasing down Pulling ahead. It was almost a case of déjà vu as three laps later, the Ferrari Academy driver tried an almost identical move at Turn 6 on Pulling to get ahead, before Pulling bailed and escaped to the runoff before rejoining the track.
Pulling gave the position back, and the two tussled until Weug obtained the lead on Lap 6. From there she drove off into the distance, banking fastest laps and creating an 11.5-second gap until a Safety Car was required for Hamda Al Qubaisi three laps from the end.
“I had a plan,” Weug said on the Safety Car period which ended on the penultimate lap and resulted in a last-lap sprint to the finish line. “I knew what I had to do if there was a Safety Car, but I was disappointed when I saw the Safety Car. I was like ‘come on, it was so easy to win from there’ because I had such a big gap! But the restart was really good and I knew where to do it.
“I saw Abbi was struggling a lot in Sector 3, so I knew I had to go early to pull the gap. I made sure I left quite a big gap to the Safety Car, and was early to restart and I think it was good. Then I didn’t have to look in my mirrors for the rest of the last lap.”
The Teams’ fight went down to the very last race, with PREMA taking on Rodin Motorsport. Weug’s heroics certainly helped seal the deal, especially after her teammate Doriane Pin was sent spinning out on the first lap of the race after contact with Haas’ Chloe Chambers.
Weug's eighth podium of the campaign allowed the Italian squad to secure back-to-back Teams' titles by 40 points and made her the series' fourth different winner this year.
“It was a shame that I saw Doriane crash as I thought the Teams’ title is now going to be difficult as I saw Abbi (of Rodin) in P1," she summarised. "But then we had good pace. I couldn't afford to make any mistakes.”
“My first win in single-seaters is good, and after a long season where we have been close so many times, it feels good to bring it home.”