Chloe Chambers made lit up the Jeddah Corniche Circuit by securing her first pole position in F1 ACADEMY since Valencia 2023. In an exhilarating three-car battle during Qualifying, Chambers emerged triumphant, leaving her competitors in awe.
With just three minutes left, Chambers set a remarkable 2:04.320 lap time after grabbing a tow to the line. Doriane Pin finished second, two and a half tenths behind Chambers, while Maya Weug completed the top three.
Under the floodlights, Ella Lloyd made a bold move, posting a 2:06.550 lap time. However, her attempt was marred by a significant lock-up into the final corner. Despite improving to a 2:06.307 on her next try, Lloyd was overtaken by Weug, who secured a 0.480s advantage over Lloyd and her Rodin Motorsport teammates, Chloe Chong and Emma Felbermayr.
The session was interrupted by a Red Flag at the 23-minute mark due to a collision between Lia Block and the inside wall of the final corner with her frustration clear to see. The restart led to a track position becoming key for the remainder of the session, with Lloyd capitalising on her clear air to reclaim the top spot with a 2:05.635 lap time.
Weug once again showcased her skills, surpassing Lloyd by 0.051s to lead ahead of Alba Larsen, who moved her Tommy Hilfiger car into the top three.
As the race progressed, Alisha Palmowski emerged as the fastest driver, but her lead was short-lived. Chambers quickly rose to the top, securing a three-tenths advantage over Larsen, who broke into the top two on her next attempt.
While several rivals dropped out around the halfway point, Chambers persevered, becoming the first driver to break into the 2:04s. Her Campos Racing teammate, Palmowski, also made significant progress, closing the gap to the American driver by just 0.063s.
Palmowski set the fastest lap of the session with a time of 2:04.864. In contrast, Pin, who had been in P11, surged up the ranks, taking the lead by 0.048s. Taking advantage of the tow behind Lloyd, Chambers pushed further, securing provisional pole position with a 2:04.320, leading Pin by 0.496s.
Pin’s final two attempts were not enough to deny Campos Racing their second consecutive pole position in F1 ACADEMY. However, the Mercedes driver narrowed the gap to just two-tenths of a second.
Weug’s last-minute improvement secured third place. The rest of the top six held their positions, with Palmowski as the highest-placed rookie in fourth, ahead of Larsen. Aston Martin’s Tina Hausmann secured sixth, followed by Lloyd, Felbermayr, and Nina Gademan. Chloe Chong rounded out the top ten.
Looking ahead, Emma Felbermayr, who qualified eighth, will start Race 1 from the reverse grid pole. The race is scheduled for 15:20 local time (UTC+3) on Saturday.