Maya Weug makes FRECA return with charging Imola race 2

RACERS

Sep 9, 20244 min read

Maya Weug made a strong return to the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine with KIC Motorsport at Imola, steadily improving throughout the weekend and finishing an impressive P14 in a chaotic, rain-soaked race 2 after starting from 26th on the grid.

Maya Weug, KIC Motorsport, FRECA, Imola 2024 — Photo credits: Dutch Photo Agency / Diederik van der Laan

Maya Weug made a notable return to Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine with KIC Motorsport with a weekend of progressive improvements at Autodromo Enzo and Dino Ferrari in Imola weekend that culminated in a spectacular charge in race 2, where the Ferrari Driver Academy racer made her way up the field from 26th to 14th in heavy rain.

Weug announced her return to the series for the Imola round last week, getting back behind the wheel of the Tatuus T318 Formula Regional car after a successful debut season in 2023, where she secured six point-scoring finishes and consistently battled in a field of nearly 40 cars. She claimed one rookie win and finished third in the rookie standings.

The 20-year-old was then chosen to represent Ferrari in the 2024 season of the all-female F1 Academy championship, where she currently sits fifth in the standings with four podium finishes from four rounds.

Imola presented an opportunity for Weug to return to mixed-gender competition in the Formula Regional series, proving that despite a year away, she could still compete in one of the most competitive junior formulae in the world.

Maya showed steady improvement throughout Friday’s practice sessions as she reacquainted herself with the car, shaving off one second between sessions ahead of Saturday's qualifying.

In qualifying Group B, Weug initially placed P12 before improving to P11 on her final lap, showing promising pace despite her time away from the series. In Group A, Rafael Camara led the session, narrowly edging out Alessandro Giusti - who led Group B - securing pole position for the first race of the weekend.

Weug started race 1 from P22 on the grid. While Rafael Camara had a strong start at the front, Weug faced a difficult opening and dropped to P26. However, she quickly showed her fighting spirit as she began to recover positions, gaining two places before a Safety Car was deployed due to incidents involving Domingues, Bedrin, and Peugeot, who had become stranded in the gravel.

Once the race resumed, Weug found herself right in the thick of midfield action. She capitalized on others' mistakes, including a drive-through penalty for Zachary David, which allowed her to move up the order.

The race became more intense as the laps progressed and Weug pushed hard to navigate through the chaos of the mid-pack. Maschio's mistake at Tamburello gave her another opportunity to advance, and she steadily improved her position to finish P23. It was a valuable learning experience after her time away from FRECA.

In Q2 on Sunday morning, Weug placed P13 in her group, setting a 1:40.787 lap. The session saw an intense battle for pole between Alessandro Giusti, Tuukka Taponen, and Noah Stromsted, who traded positions at the top throughout the Group A session. Ultimately, Camara topped Group B with a time of 1:39.171, securing pole for race 2, which meant that Weug would line up from P26.

Race 2 was held under wet and treacherous conditions, as rain fell around an hour before the start, making the track extremely challenging. Right from the start, the race turned out to be a chaotic one, with title contenders Taponen and Camara colliding at Tamburello, an incident with potentially championship implications. Alessandro Giusti took advantage of the situation to seize the lead, followed closely by Noah Stromsted and Zachary David. Meanwhile, Maya Weug made a strong start, jumping to P20 by the end of the opening lap, showing her experience in these conditions.

Shortly after, a Safety Car was deployed as several cars, including Domingues, found themselves off the track. Weug took full advantage of the restart, moving up to P19. However, Camara, despite his earlier incident, was recovering rapidly and passed Weug as he charged back through the field. On lap five, another Safety Car was brought out to clear Giltaire's stranded ART Grand Prix car, giving Weug another opportunity to push forward.

As the race restarted with just six minutes remaining, Weug gained more positions, climbing to P16 as several drivers ahead of her made mistakes. Despite the chaos at the front, Weug remained calm and focused, using her experience to navigate through the tricky conditions. Her lap times continued to improve, dipping into the 1:57 range, which helped her close the gap to those ahead.

In the final stages, Weug found herself in a battle for P14, capitalizing on further incidents, including a collision at Turn 1 involving Deligny and Peugeot. With just one lap to go, another crash triggered a third Safety Car, and the race ended under caution. Alessandro Giusti took the win, followed by Stromsted and James Wharton, who rounded out the podium. Camara recovered from his first-lap crash to finish ninth, scoring valuable points for his championship bid.

Weug’s P14 finish in race 2 was a superb result, especially given the challenging conditions and her starting position. It was a positive return to one of the most competitive junior single-seater championships, with Weug making no mistakes and consistently climbing the order. By the end of the weekend, she had reestablished herself within the top 15.

She will now shift her focus to the next round of the F1 Academy in Singapore, set to take place on September 21-22.