Weug quickest on opening day of Navarra in-season testing

Maya Weug led the field on the first day of in-season testing at the Circuito de Navarra in Spain, sealing back-to-back session topping times.

The Ferrari driver set the fastest time of the day on a 1:46.439 in the morning, finishing ahead of Standings leader Doriane Pin and Tina Hausmann. She continued that form into the afternoon, beating Pin by 0.082s on a 1:46.562.

MORNING

Chloe Chong got the ball rolling, setting a 1:56.237 inside the opening half an hour. Ella Lloyd then set a new benchmark of a 1:51.046, with the Rodin Motorsport teammates exchanging fastest efforts to lower the time to beat into the 1:48s.

As the track began to fill up, Weug was the next to take over the P1 spot, clocking in a 1:47.680 to go five tenths up on Lloyd. Running would quickly grind to a halt towards the end of the first hour after Lloyd stopped on track, triggering the Red Flags.

Once the session resumed, Pin rose to the top of the timesheets, becoming the first driver into the 1:46s. The Mercedes driver improved to a 1:46.570 on her next attempt, putting her over half a second clear of Nina Gademan.

Weug moved herself back on top at the halfway point, posting a 1:46.439 which would remain unchallenged to the chequered flag. Pin finished second, 0.131s behind the Dutch driver.

A late 1:46.985 from Tina Hausmann was good enough for third, with third to ninth separated by less than three tenths. Lia Block classified in fourth ahead of Gademan and Rafaela Ferreira. Lloyd was only 0.009s back from the Racing Bulls driver in seventh.

Chloe Chambers ended the morning in eighth ahead of Campos Racing teammate Alisha Palmowski, whilst Chong rounded out the top 10 on a 1:47.465.

AFTERNOON

Block was the first to pick things up after lunch, setting a 1:50.389 in the opening 10 minutes. The Williams driver continued to push on, lowering the benchmark to a 1:47.888.

Weug soon returned to the top of the timesheets on a 1:47.880, only to be beaten by two flying laps from Pin which set the time to beat at 1:47.348. A string of improvements from Lloyd saw the McLaren driver go fastest on a 1:46.835 by the end of the first hour.

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Chambers was next to move into the P1 spot on a 1:46.729, as Ferreira narrowly slotted into second, only 0.081s slower than the Red Bull Ford driver’s effort. However, her hold wouldn’t remain indefinitely as Weug reasserted herself at the head of the order on a 1:46.562, 0.167s quicker than the #14 car.

As drivers headed in and out of the pits for their final attempts of the day, Pin halved Weug’s advantage down to 0.082s, but the Ferrari driver remained fastest. Chambers and Hausmann completed the top four, less than two tenths back.

Ferreira was sixth ahead of fellow rookies Lloyd, Palmowski, Larsen and Havrda, with the American Express driver rounding out the top 10 times of the afternoon.

The second day of in-season testing is set to get underway at 09:00 local time (UTC+2) on Wednesday.