F1 Academy: Chloe Chambers takes maiden pole position in Jeddah
- RACERS
- Apr 19
- 3 min read
Chloe Chambers claimed her first F1 Academy pole position with a stellar lap under the lights in Jeddah, leading a tightly contested session ahead of Doriane Pin and Maya Weug, while rookie Emma Felbermayr will start Race 1 from reverse-grid pole.
American racer Chloe Chambers secured her first pole position in F1 Academy after a closely fought qualifying session under the lights at Jeddah’s Corniche Circuit. The Campos Racing driver edged out Doriane Pin and Maya Weug for the top spot, having previously traded times at the top with her teammate Alisha Palmowski.
Chambers, already a race winner in her rookie F1 Academy season, had shown strong form in pre-event testing and looked to build on a solid opening round in Shanghai, where she scored two podium finishes.
The Jeddah round marked the series' return to the Saudi street circuit one year after its debut there, where Mercedes junior Doriane Pin had dominated before a penalty in Race 2 derailed her championship bid.
Pin again emerged as one of the top contenders during last week's three-day test, alongside Maya Weug, who has joined MP Motorsport for 2024 and was also among the front-runners in Shanghai. Palmowski, who claimed a victory in her first full F1 Academy campaign, as well as her Campos and Red Bull teammate Chambers, were also standout performers in testing and were expected to be among the top contenders for the weekend.
The Jeddah round features an unusual schedule: a single daytime practice session held in very hot conditions, followed by night qualifying in cooler temperatures. Both races are then scheduled during the day, creating a setup challenge for teams. With only one 40-minute practice session, every lap of track time proved critical.
The practice session saw a tight battle at the top, with Maya Weug, Doriane Pin, and Alisha Palmowski trading fastest times in the closing minutes after a steady build-up. Weug ultimately topped the session with a 2:05.357, just ahead of Palmowski and Pin, in a closely fought field that promised a competitive showing in the evening qualifying.
Qualifying under the lights began with drama: Lia Block hit the wall hard, bringing out the red flag early before many drivers had set a time. It was another tough setback for the Williams Academy driver, who also suffered a crash in practice at the Shanghai round and will again start from the back of the pack in Jeddah.
After the session resumed, Weug was first to the top with a 2:05.635. Ella Lloyd and Alba Larsen followed closely, as times rapidly improved. Chambers then set the new benchmark with a 2:05.158, with Larsen and Palmowski moving into the top three. Chloe Chong also put in a strong lap to take sixth, just ahead of her Rodin teammate Emma Felbermayr, while Pin sat only eighth at that stage.
Lloyd briefly moved up to third before a wild moment over the kerbs forced her to back off. As the final ten minutes approached, Palmowski improved but narrowly missed out on the top spot. Weug climbed back to third, while Palmowski responded with a 2:04.864 to take provisional pole—only to be edged out by Pin, who posted a 2:04.816.
The session reached a thrilling climax in the final runs: Weug set the fastest second sector of anyone, Larsen moved up to fourth, and then Chambers delivered a stunning 2:04.320 lap, beating Pin by over two tenths. Palmowski couldn’t improve further after a mistake over a high kerb, and Gademan moved into the top ten, just behind Lloyd and Felbermayr.
In the final seconds, Weug improved her personal best to a 2:04.844—good enough for third—while Lloyd climbed to seventh. No further changes occurred at the top, confirming Chambers’ maiden F1 Academy pole, in a remarkable effort that saw her beat Pin by two tenths of a second.
With eighth place in qualifying, Emma Felbermayr will start from pole in Race 1 due to the reverse grid format. The Austrian rookie continues to impress, placing her Sauber-liveried Tatuus among the top ten again after a top five on debut in Shanghai.
Weug will start third, ahead of Palmowski, with Larsen rounding out the top five. Tina Hausmann was sixth in the Aston Martin Prema, ahead of rookies Lloyd and Felbermayr, who will share the front row for the reverse-grid opener. Nina Gademan, still recovering from a testing crash, delivered a strong performance to secure ninth, with Chloe Chong completing the top ten.
Joanne Ciconte narrowly missed the top ten, finishing ahead of Aurelia Nobels, Rafaela Ferreira, and Courtney Crone. Nicole Havrda was 15th, followed by Aiva Anagnostiadis and wildcard Farah Al Yousef. After her early crash, Lia Block will start from P18 and will aim to recover positions in both races.
Race 1 – the reverse-grid sprint – is scheduled for 3:20 PM local time.
