Ferrari academy driver Maya Weugh set the fastest time in F1 Academy qualifying in China, securing pole position for Race 2 at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Returning for her second season, Weug guided her Ferrari-liveried MP Motorsport machine to a time of 2:03.379s, four tenths faster than Mercedes-backed PREMA driver Doriane Pin.
The duo were close rivals in 2024 and will launch from the front row in Race 2 on Sunday, but with Race 1 being a reverse grid event, Weugh and Pin will line up eighth and seventh respectively on Saturday.
Third fastest was 16-year-old rookie Alba Larsen in her Tommy Hilfiger-liveried car with Red Bull Ford driver and F1 Academy race winner Chloe Chambers fourth.
Red Bull-backed Alisha Palmowski posted the fifth fastest time late on in the session and fellow rookie Joanne Ciconte went sixth fastest in the F1 Academy car.
Sauber rookie Emma Felbermayr was seventh fastest and PREMA-operated Alpine driver Nina Gademan will take the reverse grid pole after going eighth fastest in qualifying.
Positions ninth through 18th will start both races from their qualifying position.
Aston Martin’s sophomore driver Tina Hausmann missed out on reverse grid pole by less than a tenth of a second, as 0.930s covered the top nine in qualifying.
Charlotte Tilbury’s Chloe Chong rounded out the top-10.
McLaren’s new F1 Academy driver Ella Llyod was 11th quickest, ahead of AMEX driver Nicole Havrda.
Despite going 13th fastest in qualifying, Racing Bulls-backed Rafaela Ferreira will line up for both races from 16th on the grid after causing a collision with Williams’ Lia Block in practice.
Puma’s Aurelia Nobels, Haas’ Courtney Crone and Tag Heuer’s Aiva Anagnostiadis, plus wildcard Shi Wei rounded out the classified runners in qualifying.
Block couldn’t compete due to damage sustained to her machine in practice.
READ MORE – F1 Academy sets groundbreaking partnership with More than Equal
