Victorious Felbermayr thrilled to bounce back from DSQ disappointment in Montreal

It’s been a Saturday full of mixed emotions for Emma Felbermayr, but the Kick Sauber driver was delighted to score her first win in F1 ACADEMY after a run of frustrating reverse grid races.

Race 1 saw Felbermayr show her confidence and growth so far, keeping out of trouble in a frenetic Race 1 to score her first podium. However, her celebrations soon turned to sadness after the #5 Rodin Motorsport car was disqualified for being under the minimum weight.

Putting it to the back of her mind, the Austrian was back on the attack in Race 2. A brazen start from P3 saw her fend off teammate Ella Lloyd and Tina Hausmann before steadily closing the gap down to long-time leader Nina Gademan in the latter stages.

A Safety Car appearance with three laps to go led to a one-lap sprint to the end and, capitalising on the opportunity, Felbermayr dived past the Alpine driver to take the chequered flag first.

“I was obviously really disappointed because it was my first podium of the season,” she said. “It was just an amazing feeling to finally get the job done after having so many attempts before, but now I have the win. It was an eventful last lap, but I got it done into Turn 8, so I’m super happy about that.”

She added: “Honestly, it was super exciting to finally get the win done. Earlier in the season, it was tough not scoring points in the last two rounds and almost a DNF in Round 1. I’m super excited to bounce back like this and here in Montreal. I just want to work and keep building on that momentum.

“Tomorrow we are starting from P6, so we definitely have to overtake some people. I hope for another podium finish!”

READ MORE: RACE 2: Felbermayr seals redemption with last-lap dash to maiden victory in Canada

Tackling the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, it was a battle for the drivers to stick within the limits of the 14 turns. Although the Safety Car eliminated Gademan’s advantage out front, Felbermayr admitted that she did not welcome it as it gave her only one shot to try and go for the win.

“The track definitely doesn’t have a lot of grip so it’s pretty hard to get the corners right,” explained Felbermayr. “We’re definitely moving around a lot, especially in the entry of the corners.

“Before the Safety Car, I was closing the gap to Nina and I had a big gap behind. So, it was really unfortunate that the Safety Car got deployed. It was only one lap left of the race, so I knew I had to do it. I had the opportunity and I took it.”

Gademan wasn’t the only driver Felbermayr had to deal with as her teammate Lloyd sat right on her tail into the final few corners, whilst a brief trip over the kerbs out of Turn 14 brought the Austrian a moment of concern.

Unequivocal in the need to not let her guard down on track, Felbermayr was still pleased to see their efforts boost Rodin’s chances of closing in on the top three in the Teams’ Standings.

“The gap to Ella, especially on the straight was super close,” she said. “And I just thought ‘I can’t brake too early because otherwise she’s braking into me. I went with too much speed into the corner and hit the kerb. My head was shaking a lot, but in the end, it was okay.

“It’s just another car. I know Ella doesn’t give me anything in racing and so am I. We are both here to race and to win. But of course, we are looking maybe at teamwork because the Teams’ Standings are also important.”