QUALIFYING: Chambers prevails over Palmowski to head up Campos front row lock-out in Montreal

Chloe Chambers threw down the gauntlet to her title rivals, conquering Qualifying in Montreal to seal her third consecutive pole position of the season.

Locked in a back-and-forth battle with teammate Alisha Palmowski, it was the Red Bull Ford driver who stamped her authority on the top spot, setting a 1:38.125 in the final minutes. Palmowski completed a 1-2 for Campos Racing, with Mercedes’ Doriane Pin finishing four tenths back in third.

Without a time to her name following an electrical issue in Practice, every lap mattered for Maya Weug as the Standings leader was the first out on track. After a burst of initial laps, Chambers set the early benchmark of a 1:45.283. Improving into the 1:41s on her next attempt, the American was swiftly beaten by a 1:40.910 from Alba Larsen.

Times quickly tumbled with Lia Block, Ella Lloyd and Palmowski all going fastest in turn, before Larsen moved back up to the top and into the 1:39s. In a class of her own in the first phase, Larsen continued to beat her personal best, with a 1:39.246 putting a ninth-tenths buffer between herself and Lloyd in P2.

With 17 minutes to go, the PREMA trio headed out and Pin immediately broke into the top three, albeit six tenths off Larsen. As the provisional polesitter headed to the pits, Palmowski seized the chance to take over the top spot on a 1:39.260.

Reminiscent of Free Practice early on, Chambers would be the one to demote her teammate, going over a tenth quicker. In response, Palmowski posted the fastest time of the day with a 1:38.749, with Chambers settling for second on her next attempt.

The Red Bull Ford driver then reinstated her hold on the top of the timesheets by 0.059s, only for Palmowski to find an extra 0.039s. With less than six minutes to go, Chambers responded with a 1:38.125, eclipsing her teammate by over five tenths.

Pin then hit the front row, splitting the Campos duo, but one final lap at the chequered flag was enough for Palmowski to regain second. However, Chambers’ earlier effort proved enough for her to seal pole position by three tenths to Palmowski, as Pin wound up in third.

Lloyd followed in fourth, with a late improvement from Tina Hausmann moving her into fifth. Kick Sauber’s Emma Felbermayr qualified in sixth followed by fellow rookie Nina Gademan and Chloe Chong, with the Charlotte Tilbury driver’s P8 result putting her on reverse grid pole for Race 2.

Block and Rafaela Ferreira completed the top 10. Meanwhile, a disastrous Qualifying for Weug saw the Ferrari driver end the day in P15.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Before these Qualifying results get put into action, Chambers will line up on pole for Saturday’s Race 1. With the starting order established using the final grid from Miami Race 2, lights go out at 09:15 local time (UTC -4).