Always around the Top 5 in every training session and with a great first qualifying, Emily Linscott then had difficult races at Miami, with a 7th place as best finish after a great recovery. It was a real rain dance for the young Brit, who showed great speed in the rain and now targets her first podium in the final weekend at Sebring.
Emily Linscott cmade her return to the Homestead Miami Speedway where she entered Lucas Oil School of Racing Formula Car Series pre-season testing, before the Covid-situation interrupted the plans for her first full season. She was in fact forced to miss the first race weekend of the series due to travel restrictions from UK to the US.
Thursday was a very good day for Linscott as she was always around the top five in every test session and ended her day with second place in the timesheets in wet conditions.
"I have to say I am very happy with my wet driving today, the conditions were tricky and always changing.", she said. "This day was definitely a big learning day for wet running", Emily added after her first day of the race event at the Miami racetrack.
Qualifying went underway the following morning and it was again a wet one. Linscott spent most of the time again as the second fastest driver, but dropped back to fifth at the end of the session by two tenths, in a very competitive grid.
"Today’s races are definitely going to be a lot of fun in the rain. Cannot wait to get out in the car."
While the racetrack started to dry, more lightning and an incoming thunderstorm meant that the race had to be postponed to the mid-afternoon on the same day.
When cars finally hit the track, Emily had a good start and took the green flag in 5th place, but a contact with another car sent her on the grass and then into the wall on the first lap, unfortunately ending her first race of the weekend prematurely.
The second race was scheduled for the same day, with Race 1 results setting the grid. Linscott's early retirement meant that she would start from the 14th and last place on a now dry track. Emily worked her way back and crossed the finish line in 7th place, which marked her best result of the weekend: "I’m very pleased with my performance today." - said a happy Emily about her performance. "After starting 14th I had a great battle with two other drivers managing to finish 7th."
On Sunday Emily had some more troubles with traffic in her qualifying lap and managed to get a 6th fastest time to start the last race of the Miami weekend - in yet another incredibly tight field, with just 2 tenths separating the young British racer from the third-starting position.
Unfortunately, a migraine that had started the previous evening slowed Linscott in the final race and she focused on bringing the car home safely.
After five out of the six scheduled rounds, Emily Linscott sits eighth in the championship standings (263 points). While a podium finish has eluded her so far, Linscott showed great pace in the wet and got more valuable track time in different conditions, which will surely prove crucial in her progress through the motorsport ladder.
The next and final race event will take place at Sebring International Raceway from 1st to 2nd October.