MAYA WEUG Snatches Last-Second Pole as NINA GADEMAN Gets Birthday Grid Gift

August 30, 2025

by RACERS // from www.racers-behindthehelmet.com

• MAYA WEUG delivered a masterclass in clutch driving, stealing pole position with a blistering 1:38.834 in the final seconds of a chaotic wet-to-dry qualifying session at Zandvoort. The Ferrari junior’s home advantage paid off as she held her nerve while drivers crashed around her, edging out ALISHA PALMOWSKI and ELLA LLOYD by just five hundredths in a finish that had us holding our breath until the checkered flag.
• NINA GADEMAN proved that sometimes the best birthday gifts come from your own talent, securing reverse grid pole for Race 1 despite missing Friday practice due to medical concerns. The Dutch driver’s P8 qualifying result on her 22nd birthday means she’ll lead the field when the lights go out, turning what could have been a weekend writeoff into a prime opportunity to showcase her skills in front of the home crowd.
• The session showcased exactly why we love watching these women race – pure wheel-to-wheel drama as track conditions shifted and drivers made split-second tire strategy calls. ALISHA PALMOWSKI had provisional pole snatched away by track limits, while championship leader DORIANE PIN found herself stuck in traffic at the worst possible moment, proving that in F1 Academy, reputation means nothing when the stopwatch is running and everyone’s fighting for those crucial tenths.

all-female f1 academy, alpine, autodromo enzo e dino ferrari, circuit zandvoort