Maya Weug takes first F1 Academy win in dramatic season finale
- RACERS
- Dec 8, 2024
- 4 min read
Maya Weug claimed her first F1 Academy - and single seater - victory in a dramatic Abu Dhabi season finale, preceding Abbi Pulling and Nerea Marti in a breathtaking Race 3 that saw Prema Racing securing the teams' championship.
Nine months ago, the second-ever F1 Academy season kicked off in Saudi Arabia at Jeddah. On Sunday morning, the cars lined up on the grid for the final race of the season, concluding a year that flew by across seven rounds around the world and saw Alpine Academy’s Abbi Pulling emerge as the dominant driver.
Pulling sealed the title in Qatar’s first race, and though a canceled second race meant she needed to score one more point in Abu Dhabi, it was no challenge for the British racer, who claimed three pole positions on Friday night, reclaiming what was hers.
The Abu Dhabi races, however, were more closely fought. Chloe Chambers was fast all weekend, leading on the first lap of Race 1, but a spin allowed Pulling to regain the lead and take the win.
Race 2, held under the lights, delivered a spectacular four-car battle for victory, with Chambers and Pulling trading positions at the front, joined by home hero Hamda Al Qubaisi and Doriane Pin. Once again, Pulling emerged victorious, leaving her rivals determined to fight back in the season’s final race.
With the two-year driver eligibility limit, it was an emotional race for nine drivers as they prepared to bid farewell to F1 Academy and aimed to end on a high.
Under sunny skies and warm temperatures, the lights went out one last time this year. Pulling had a strong getaway, while Pin immediately attacked Chambers. The two went side-by-side through Turn 1, resulting in a dramatic contact that sent both into the run-off area, with Chambers picking up front wing damage.
Behind them, Hamda Al Qubaisi moved into second place and went on the attack, trying to pressure Pulling. Maya Weug also joined the fight, making a bold move into Turn 5 on Lap 2 to pass Hamda.
Action erupted across the field: Nerea Martí was close behind, Bianca Bustamante ran in fifth, and Emely De Heus made a brilliant start to climb into sixth, ahead of Tina Hausmann and Carrie Schreiner. Amna Al Qubaisi, meanwhile, made a stunning charge from P15 to P12 on the first lap.
Weug was relentless, fighting Pulling for the lead and searching for an opening, while Hamda waited for her chance to strike back. Chambers pitted for repairs but was also handed a 10-second penalty for the opening-lap contact.
Amid four laps of non-stop action, Bustamante overshot the chicane and collided with Hamda Al Qubaisi, who miraculously continued without losing positions. Bustamante, however, was overtaken by De Heus, who continued her impressive run.
Weug, determined to claim her first win, launched an attack at Turn 6. Pulling took to the run-off to maintain her lead, while Al Qubaisi and Martí dived in behind Weug, who held her ground. In a chaotic five-wide battle for the lead, Weug finally passed Pulling, taking the lead for the first time this season. Al Qubaisi, after running deep, slotted back behind Martí to retain third.
The action continued as De Heus challenged Bustamante, both vying for podium contention. Meanwhile, Logan Hannah, Hausmann, and Jessica Edgar closed in, separated by mere tenths. Lia Block made an impressive pass on De Heus for sixth and later overtook Martí for fourth with a daring move around the outside of Turn 14 on Lap 11.
As Al Qubaisi pressured Pulling for second, Block joined the fight but made contact with Hamda, spinning the Emirati driver around at Turn 7. The incident triggered a safety car, giving Pulling a chance to close an eight-second gap to Weug, who now faced a one-lap shootout for her first victory.
At the restart, Weug executed flawlessly, pulling away to claim her maiden F1 Academy and single-seater victory. Pulling held off Block for second place, ensuring she finished every race this season on the podium. However, Block’s penalty for her collision demoted her, promoting Nerea Martí to the final podium spot - ending her F1 Academy career stint with a trophy.
Tina Hausmann had a career-best fourth-place finish after a hard-fought race, improving on her sixth place at the season opener. Jessica Edgar battled her way to fifth in a chaotic finale, narrowly edging out Doriane Pin, who recovered from the first-lap incident to finish sixth. However, after the race, Edgar was handed a penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, which demoted her to 12th. Pin was therefore moved up to fifth.
Carrie Schreiner displayed masterful defense to claim sixth, ending her F1 Academy campaign on a high and securing a top-ten finish in the championship standings.
Starting last, Lola Lovinfosse gained nine positions to finish seventh, a strong conclusion to her F1 Academy seasons.
Aurelia Nobels was eighth, narrowly ahead of Emely De Heus, who scored points again despite an unlucky second half of the race. De Heus ended the season with five consecutive points finishes.
Hamda Al Qubaisi, despite being spun while battling for second, rejoined at the back and capitalized on penalties to finish 10th and thus scoring the final point.
Logan Hannah, after scoring points in Race 2, delivered another strong run to finish 11th, ahead of Amna Al Qubaisi, who served a 10-second penalty after initially finishing seventh on track.
Bianca Bustamante, Lia Block, and Chloe Chambers also served penalties, with Chambers clocking the second fastest lap of the race.
Prema Racing secured their second consecutive teams’ title with a win, a fourth place, and a sixth place in Race 3, finishing the season with a 40-point margin over Rodin Motorsport.
In the championship standings, Maya Weug secured third place overall, while Nerea Martí overtook Hamda Al Qubaisi and Chloe Chambers for fourth. Bustamante finished seventh, Lia Block completed her rookie season in eighth, and Jessica Edgar and Carrie Schreiner ended their sophomore campaigns in the top ten.
The thrilling finale capped off a remarkable F1 Academy season, which promises even more excitement in 2026 with an expanded grid.
