‘I’m not sure I agree with this decision’ – Gademan and Larsen offer differing perspectives on Austin Opening Race battle

Nina Gademan and Alba Larsen secured a third consecutive double podium for MP Motorsport in the F1 ACADEMY Opening Race in Austin. The teammates had to fight one another to the chequered flag after a contentious overtake earlier in the race.

Gademan ultimately finished second behind race winner Alisha Palmowski, with Larsen completing the podium in third. The result marked Gademan's fourth podium in five races and Larsen's third consecutive podium, a remarkable turnaround for the Ferrari driver after going without one in her first 21 starts.

The pair's battle began at the first Safety Car restart on Lap 4, when Larsen moved ahead of Gademan into second place. However, the Ferrari driver had gone beyond the track limits during the manoeuvre, prompting an investigation and an eventual instruction to return the position. Gademan admitted that a poor restart had left her vulnerable to the attack, although she was ultimately satisfied with how the battle unfolded.

“My Safety Car restart was not the greatest,” the Alpine driver explained. “I had some wheelspin and didn’t have a good launch, so Alba went for the move and overtook me off track and had to give the position back.

“Then we had a pretty tough fight, but I think it was fair in the end. It was a good fight, though. It was fun looking ahead and into my mirrors the whole time!”

Larsen, meanwhile, was less convinced by the decision. Having spent much of the race chasing Palmowski for the lead, she was instructed to relinquish second place during the second Safety Car period, leaving her with only the final lap to attempt to reclaim it.

“I was told to give that position back, but I got the message very late,” Larsen reflected. “So I only had one lap, which made it very difficult for me to overtake and get the position back.

“I was trying everywhere. I have to rewatch it, but I’m not sure I agree with the decision. I feel like I got pushed wide, but obviously I need to rewatch it.”

READ MORE: OPENING RACE: Palmowski claims her fifth victory of the season in commanding Austin drive

Despite her reservations, Larsen complied with the instruction once racing resumed, before immediately mounting another attack on Gademan. The teammates ran closely through the final lap, with Gademan defending second place and Larsen ultimately settling for third.

“I did what was right, which was giving the position back, and I did my best to try and get back into second,” Larsen said. “But it was a really strong race. The pace was there, the car was feeling really great, I was on the move, so I’m excited to do it again tomorrow and on Sunday.”

Beyond their on-track battle, the result offered further encouragement for MP Motorsport, whose recent performances have brought both drivers into regular podium contention. Gademan was particularly pleased with the improvement since Zandvoort, where she felt the team had struggled to match the pace of its rivals despite securing two double podium finishes.

“I think it was a big step compared to Zandvoort, where we basically could not keep up with them at all,” she said. “There was something like an eight-second gap in Zandvoort, and now I managed to stay with them quite well.

“I’m still not strong enough to fight for the win, but I could keep up with them, which is already a big step.”

READ MORE: ‘I knew it was now or never’ – Palmowski reflects on crucial opening-lap battle in Austin

The Alpine driver believes that finding greater consistency, rather than necessarily a significant increase in outright pace, could be enough to put her in contention for victory before the weekend is over.

“I made a couple of mistakes during a lap, where I really opened the gap, not necessarily because of the pace itself,” Gademan explained. “We’re only half a tenth from the fastest lap, so I think I can be strong. We just need to put it all together.

“If I can fine-tune things, I’m pretty sure we can at least challenge Alisha for the win this weekend.”

Gademan also has her sights set on second place in the Drivers' Standings, having closed to within seven points of Emma Felbermayr following Friday's race.

“I want to leave the weekend in P2 of the Standings, no doubt,” she said. “I want to secure enough points to be safe for Vegas, so I can take risks!”

Larsen was similarly optimistic about her prospects for the remaining two races in Austin, with the Dane already anticipating further podium celebrations.

“It’s a bit annoying. I only have one suit because I’m expecting three podiums, but we’ll see what happens tomorrow,” she joked. “I felt really good in the car, and I think I can do it again tomorrow.”