QUALIFYING: Chambers puts it all together as she seizes maiden pole position in Jeddah

Chloe Chambers lit up the Jeddah Corniche Circuit to claim her first pole position in F1 ACADEMY, winning out in a late three-car battle in Qualifying.

The Red Bull Ford driver stamped her mark on the timesheets with three minutes to go and nobody’s final attempts could touch her 2:04.320. Doriane Pin was her closest rival in second, two and a half tenths back, as Maya Weug completed the top three.

Bolting on a fresh set of Pirelli tyres for Qualifying under the floodlights, Ella Lloyd got the first time on the board, posting a 2:06.550 with a big lock-up from the McLaren driver into the final corner. Despite improving to a 2:06.307 on her next attempt, she was demoted to P2 by Practice pace-setter Weug, who went 0.480s clear of Lloyd and her Rodin Motorsport teammates Chloe Chong and Emma Felbermayr.

Their early rhythm would be interrupted by the Red Flag at the 23-minute mark as Lia Block clipped the inside wall into the final corner and crashed into the barrier.

Once running resumed, the drivers squabbled over track position but Lloyd took advantage of her clean air to go top on a 2:05.635. This was only for Weug to once again eclipse her by 0.051s ahead of Alba Larsen who moved her Tommy Hilfiger car into the top three.

Another flying lap complete and Alisha Palmowski was next to go fastest, but the Red Bull Racing driver’s hold would be brief. Chambers rose to the top of the timing screens, three tenths clear of Larsen who broke into the top two on her next attempt.

Whilst several of her rivals pitted around the halfway point, Chambers pushed on, becoming the first driver into the 2:04s. Her Campos Racing teammate Palmowski also improved, closing to within 0.063s of the American.

Palmowski wasn’t done there, going fastest of all on a 2:04.864. Pin, who languished down in P11, then shot up to the top of the order by 0.048s. Benefitting from the tow behind Lloyd, Chambers threw down the gauntlet with a 2:04.320 to take provisional pole, 0.496s clear of Pin.

Pin’s final two attempts weren’t enough to deny Campos their second pole position in F1 ACADEMY, although the Mercedes driver did reduce the deficit down to two tenths.

Weug’s last-gasp improvement at the chequered flag was enough for third, with the rest of the top-six holding firm. Palmowski ended up as the highest-placed rookie in fourth ahead of Larsen. Aston Martin’s Tina Hausmann was sixth ahead of Lloyd, Felbermayr and Nina Gademan while Chloe Chong rounded out the top-10.

WHAT’S NEXT?

After qualifying in eighth, Emma Felbermayr lines up on reverse grid pole for Race 1. Saturday’s race is scheduled to get underway at 15:20 local time (UTC+3).