STANDOUT STARS: Who was on fire in Round 3’s return to Miami?

Doriane Pin made up lost ground in her title fight, turning a P6 start into a thrilling victory in the first and only race of Round 3.

Despite being in the Sunshine State, the Miami streets saw their fair share of showers. Let’s check out who danced their way through the changeable conditions to come out on top…

ALISHA PALMOWSKI

In a weekend that caught out many of her fellow rookies, Alisha Palmowski proved herself to be a cut above the rest.

Going second-fastest in Free Practice 1 was a better start than the Red Bull Racing driver had anticipated and the Briton’s confidence only seemed to grow from there. Although, a P8 finish in the second Free Practice put her further back than she would have liked, ninth tenths off pacesetter Maya Weug.

Benefitting from Campos Racing’s pit lane position, Palmowski was the first out on track in Qualifying. Letting Chloe Chambers by proved to be a small error on her part, giving her teammate the clear air needed to secure pole by 0.018s, in what proved to be a one-shot session due to the rain.

Gaining places in each reverse grid race so far, Palmowski continued that trend in Race 1, making up five positions to land her third podium of the season in second. A wet Race 2 could have played into her strengths, but crucially neither the gap between herself and leader Weug or to Chambers in third have grown.

Remaining the highest rookie in the Standings in fourth, the 18-year-old is only 22 points off the top spot. Exuding an ever more palpable confidence, the Red Bull Racing driver has plenty to smile about heading into the spring break.

READ MORE: RACE 1: Pin charges her way through to clinch victory in Miami

DORIANE PIN

So far this season, the reverse grid races hadn't witnessed Doriane Pin’s strongest performances. Therefore, Race 1 was a fitting display of her racecraft as she took her first F1 ACADEMY win in the format.

Qualifying in third, only 0.071s off Chambers, the Mercedes driver found herself sixth on the grid. Expertly navigating her way through the first corner chaos, Pin emerged in second and gambled on a move on Emma Felbermayr for the lead as the Safety Car was deployed.

Not wanting to risk a penalty, the French driver bided her time, getting past up the inside of Turn 17. However, Pin was caught out by the Kick Sauber driver’s fightback at Turn 1, losing out until a wide moment from Felbermayr a lap later gifted her the P1 spot once more.

From there, Pin looked to be paying little attention to second-place Palmowski. Despite a Safety Car restart, she took the win by 0.423s and scored the additional point for the fastest lap. Now only one point off the lead of the Drivers’ Standings, Pin needs to make the most of any opportunities she has to outperform Weug if she wants another twist in the title fight.

CHLOE CHAMBERS

Chloe Chambers would have been disappointed not to get the chance to convert her second consecutive pole position into a win on home soil, but the Red Bull Ford driver can leave Miami with her head held high.

READ MORE: Pin aiming for perfection in Miami after outsmarting rivals on way to Race 1 victory

Recognising that there was not a split second to waste in Qualifying, Chambers’ decision to lead the pack on to their one and only lap proved wise, adding two points to her cause. On race day, the 20-year-old utilised her experience from last year’s visit to the Miami International Autodrome, carving her way through from eighth to third to help deliver Campos Racing’s second double podium of the year.

Moving to within nine points of Weug in the title fight, Chambers has two clear targets for Montreal — score her first win of the season and increase her average points per race. Excluding pole positions, the American has scored on average 10.2 points across the first five races, as opposed to 12.4 for Weug and Pin’s 12.6.

NINA GADEMAN

Nina Gademan’s trip to Miami was a two-folded battle for the Alpine driver. On the one hand, navigating a circuit she’s never raced at before is difficult for any rookie, but more so for one still recovering from injury.

Demonstrating solid pace across both Free Practice, expectations were high heading into Qualifying. Unluckily for her, PREMA Racing were situated towards the tail-end of the pit lane, leaving her at the mercy of the traffic and the rain.

Undeterred by the setback, Gademan delivered the goods in Race 1, making up eight places — the most in the field — to go from 13th to fifth. The break comes at an opportune time for eighth-placed Gademan, as she looks to make top-five finishes a more regular occurrence.

READ MORE: Calling All Creatives: Design the Official F1 ACADEMY Montreal Race Poster!

AURELIA NOBELS

There’s an argument that a sixth-placed finish for a second-year driver isn’t much to celebrate, but it’s a welcomed return to the points for Aurelia Nobels.

ART Grand Prix have endured a hapless start to the 2025 campaign with only one point-scoring finish on the board. In turn, Nobels has struggled for pace with 10th in Jeddah Race 1 her highest finish in any session across the first two rounds.

In the mix from the outset with seventh in FP1 followed up by fifth later that afternoon, the PUMA driver seemed more comfortable behind the wheel than at any other stage this year.

Sixth in Qualifying did put her within touching distance of her first podium, but the Brazilian lacked the speed to keep a hold of it. A respectable sixth-place finish will hopefully give her the confidence needed to rediscover the pace we saw glimpses of last season.