F1 Academy: Maya Weug edges Chloe Chambers on Friday in Miami
- RACERS
- May 2
- 3 min read
Updated: May 3
MP Motorsport’s Maya Weug ended Friday practice on top at Miami, preceding Chloe Chambers by a little over two tenths – and Nina Gademan, with the top-three the only drivers in the 1:58s range.
Just a few hours after the opening practice—led by Mercedes junior Doriane Pin—drivers returned to the track at the Miami International Autodrome for the second 40-minute session, which offers valuable extra track time for F1 Academy competitors due to the lack of pre-event testing at this venue.
Pin was one of the few drivers to break the two-minute barrier in FP1, but lap times dropped significantly in the afternoon as expected, thanks to improved track conditions. Championship leader Maya Weug topped the timesheets in FP2, narrowly ahead of home racer Chloe Chambers, who continued her strong form at every circuit visited so far, despite not yet claiming a win this season.
Nina Gademan, who had already shown strong pace in FP1, confirmed her form in the second session, becoming one of only three drivers to set a lap time in the 1:58s.
As the green flag waved for FP2, nearly all cars exited the pit lane immediately, with only the Prema drivers holding back momentarily before joining the session. Ava Dobson, who had missed the final minutes of FP1 due to a technical issue, was also back on track, aiming to recover lost mileage.
Ella Lloyd once again was the first to set a representative lap, clocking a 2:01.356.
There was early drama between two of the four American drivers on the grid: wild card Ava Dobson, supported by Morgan Stanley for the Miami round, locked up into Turn 1 and made contact with the rear of Lia Block’s Williams-liveried ART GP car. Both drivers were able to rejoin, though Block pitted after the spin.
The incident cost Dobson a three-place grid penalty in both races.
Maya Weug was the first to dip under the two-minute mark with a 1:59.910, with Alisha Palmowski close behind in second. Chambers then moved into the provisional lead with a 1:59.647, making her and Weug the only drivers initially under the two-minute barrier.
As the session progressed, most drivers improved their lap times. Maya Weug reclaimed the top spot with a 1:59.417, followed by Chambers, Pin, Palmowski, and Block. While most drivers returned to the pits at the halfway mark, Doriane Pin stayed out on track, capitalized on a clear lap, and went fastest with a 1:59.337—thanks to the quickest second sector overall.
Nina Gademan also improved, going sixth fastest, while the Prema cars were among the last to pit for their final runs on fresh tyres. Aurelia Nobels set the fastest time in Sector 3 and moved up to fourth with a strong 1:59.654.
Chloe Chambers, driving for Campos Racing, became the first driver to break into the 1:58s with a strong 1:58.824, setting purple sectors across the board—the fastest lap of the weekend so far. Nobels improved again but couldn't match Chambers, settling into second, with Ella Lloyd moving up into third as several drivers made significant gains.
Maya Weug then delivered a 1:59.015 to take second and followed it up with two fastest sectors to reclaim the top spot with a 1:58.545. Chloe Chong, who had a promising FP1, also improved and went eighth fastest, becoming one of eight drivers to lap under two minutes.
Maya Weug ended the session fastest, ahead of Chambers, Gademan—who delivered an impressive final flying lap—Lloyd, and Nobels. The FDA driver, backed by Puma, continued to show excellent pace this weekend.
Lia Block was sixth fastest, once again solidly in the front group, followed by Doriane Pin, who appeared to save a set of tyres by not improving in the final minutes. Palmowski was eighth, while Emma Felbermayr and Chloe Chong completed the top ten.
Alba Larsen and Tina Hausmann weren’t far behind; Courtney Crone placed 13th, ahead of Nicole Havrda—once again the fastest Hitech GP driver and showing clear progress from previous rounds.
Rafaela Ferreira was 15th, just ahead of Ava Dobson, who stayed in front of Joanne Ciconte and Aiva Anagnostiadis. The entire field closed the gap to the front runners compared to FP1.
Saturday will feature both qualifying and Race 1, with qualifying scheduled for 10:25 local time. As per the 2025 format, the fastest laps will set the grid for Race 2, while the top eight will be reversed for the start of Race 1.
Additional reporting: Liam Redford
