Report
Palmowski tops the timesheets on Day 1 of Zandvoort testing
Alisha Palmowski was the one to beat on the opening day of in-season testing in Zandvoort. The Red Bull Racing driver set a 1:38.074 in the final minutes of the afternoon running to seal the fastest time of Day 1, pipping Maya Weug to the top spot.
It was a Campos Racing clean sweep after Chloe Chambers put together a late improvement to lead the morning session ahead of Weug and Aurelia Nobels.
MORNING
Although the field quickly peeled out of the pits for their installation laps, it was a quiet start to testing. Nicole Havrda was the first driver to get a time on the board, followed by her Hitech TGR teammate Aiva Anagnostiadis.
Tommy Hilfiger’s Alba Larsen eventually got the ball rolling during the second hour, with her 1:43.420 becoming the time to beat. Joined on track by Joanne Ciconte and Maya Weug, the pair went fastest in quick succession, with the Ferrari driver taking full advantage by setting a 1:40.939.
Alisha Palmowski slotted into second, less than two thousandths behind Weug, but continued to push on. The #21 car was next to take over the top spot, with the Briton then improving further to a 1:40.679. The benchmark was lowered further by Doriane Pin before Chloe Chong beat the Mercedes driver by 0.011s tenths into the final hour.
Ella Lloyd brought out a brief Red Flag after a spin at Turn 7, but the McLaren driver soon recovered. Rising to the top of the timesheets on a 1:40.329, Lloyd lowered her best effort down by another tenth shortly afterwards.
Chloe Chambers then put Campos Racing back on top, becoming the first into the 1:40s. Another flying lap from the Red Bull Ford driver saw her break half a second clear of the pack on a 1:39.713.
Steadily closing the deficit, Weug then clocked in a 1:39.711, narrowly beating Chambers by 0.002s. However, the American found more time in the last 10 minutes of running, reinstating her hold on the fastest time with a 1:39.364. The session would draw to an early end after a spin for Anagnostiadis at Turn 2 brought out the Red Flag, with the session not being resumed.
As a result, Chambers finished the morning comfortably fastest, three tenths ahead of Weug. A late push from Aurelia Nobels moved her up into the top three ahead of Lloyd, Palmowski and Chong. Pin finished over a second down in seventh followed by Rafaela Ferreira, Emma Felbermayr and Tina Hausmann, who completed the top 10 for Aston Martin.
AFTERNOON
Eager to get back out on track, Nobels hit the ground running. Setting the initial benchmark at 1:40.843 inside the opening 15 minutes, the PUMA driver improved further, only to be quickly beaten by Pin.
The Mercedes driver brought the time to beat down to a 1:40.156 moments before the Red Flag was waved after Lia Block found the gravel at Turn 7. Once running resumed, Lloyd moved into the P1 spot, but it wouldn’t be long before Pin was back on top.
Becoming the first driver to break into the 1:38s, Pin went over half a second clear of Weug and her 1:38.708 would remain unchallenged for the next hour. Both Nobels and Chambers reduced the gap down, but the French racer continued to hold a three tenths advantage.
A flurry of action unfolded in the final 45 minutes of running, briefly interrupted by two Red Flag appearances after both Nobels and Courtney Crone went off at Turn 7 in separate incidents. Once running resumed, Weug leapt up to the top of the order on a 1:38.567, only to be narrowly beaten by Chambers. The two continued to trade personal bests with Chambers leading the pack on a 1:38.305.
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A moment for Palmowski at Turn 9 triggered a third Red Flag, but the Briton quickly shook it off, snatching the fastest lap of the day at 1:38.074 with nine minutes left on the clock.
Weug slotted into second, only 0.087s down on the Briton, with Chambers, Lloyd and Ferreira rounding out the top five. Pin wound up in sixth ahead of Felbermayr, Nobels, Chong and Block, who finished in P10.
The second and final day of Zandvoort testing is set to begin at 09:00 local time on Wednesday.