Interview
Westcott satisfied with ‘very smart’ drive to maiden podium in Shanghai
Payton Westcott undoubtedly made her mark in her first F1 ACADEMY race weekend of her rookie season, hitting the ground running to claim her maiden podium during Race 2 in Shanghai.
From the outside, it would be a challenge to pick out Westcott as a rookie after such a strong performance. She had some experience from her stint as the Wild Card driver at last season’s Las Vegas finale, and her drive this weekend demonstrated exactly why she earned a full-time seat.
Race 1 gave the Mercedes driver plenty to work on as she worked out the limits, frequently running wide in her overtake attempts. There was no sign of that in Race 2, where she converted fourth on the grid to third place in a calm manner, establishing herself as the lead rookie in the Standings in the process.
Reflecting on the result, she said: “I would say it was definitely a very smart race. I didn’t take any major risks. I definitely improved from yesterday with my aggression at the beginning and I was a bit more on it.
“I think that while I didn’t make up a position at the start, I was still able to stay with the front pack and made some decent decisions that put me in a good position.”
While Alba Larsen and Emma Felbermayr got the better of polesitter Alisha Palmowski on the opening lap, Westcott was unable to find a way through and instead settled into a confident rhythm, coming under little pressure from behind.
Her mature drive then allowed her to make the most of Larsen’s later error – the Ferrari driver went through the gravel at the Safety Car restart and rapidly dropped down the order — promoting Westcott to the top three.
Crediting her quick learning for the positive result, Westcott explained that she had to get to grips “with how these cars race” and “when I need to be aggressive versus when not to be”.
Outlining what she now needs to focus on to produce more podium finishes, the American added: “Mostly just preparing for all the tracks because all of them are going to be new to me, which is a disadvantage I have with being a rookie.
“Definitely doing a bit of sim time, being in the car as much as possible, and trying to stay prepared. I’m keeping my expectations level and not expecting too much. I’m keeping my head straight.”