Mathilda Paatz secured her first F1 Academy victory after a last-lap penalty demoted Rafaela Ferreira. A dramatic shuffle on the timesheets saw Paatz and Aston Martin celebrate their inaugural win.
In a twist of fate, Mathilda Paatz captured her first F1 Academy win after rival Rafaela Ferreira was penalized on the final lap of the Reverse Grid Race. Ferreira, who had initially taken the lead from polesitter Kaylee Countryman and managed two Safety Car restarts, was hit with a five-second penalty for a false start just before the race concluded.
This penalty sent Ferreira tumbling down the order from first to tenth, elevating Paatz to the top spot for both her and Aston Martin's debut victory in the all-female series. This win came shortly after Paatz had secured her first podium in the Opening Race.
Alba Larsen seemed set to take second place from Countryman at the last chicane, but a five-second post-race penalty for causing a collision with Emma Felbermayr saw the Ferrari driver drop to 11th. Consequently, Countryman moved up to second place, and Payton Westcott completed the podium. Behind them, PREMA Racing’s Natalia Granada and Lisa Billard rounded out the top five.
Originally finishing seventh, Ella Lloyd was relegated to 13th after a post-race penalty, while Felbermayr recovered to secure sixth place. Megan Bruce ended up in seventh, with Ferreira settling for eighth after her penalty.
Alisha Palmowski, who was forced to retire early following contact with Bruce, will be looking for redemption when she starts from pole in the Feature Race. This race is scheduled for Sunday at 10:45 local time. For a detailed account of the Reverse Grid Race, visit the official F1 Academy website.