Last Updated 11th May 2023, Written by Tabitha Peterson
Round 2 of the F1 Academy, Spain. Who's leading the championship after this weekend of intense racing?
Also known as Circuit de Valencia or Ricardo Tormo, the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo is a 4.005km track built in 1999. Named after two time grand prix motorcycle racer 'Ricardo Tormo', the track hosts the MotoGP Valencian Community GP, the FIA GT Championship, the European Le Mans series, and the DTM, as well as hosting Formula E's pre season testing as of the 2017.
Round 2 Results
05 - 07 May 2023
Free Practice 1: N. Martí
Lap Time: 1:34.416
Free Practice 2: M. García
Lap Time: 1:34.549
Qualifying 1: N. Martí
Lap Time: 1:35.220
Qualifying 2: M. García
Lap Time: 1:34.683
Race 1: H. Al Qubaisi
Race Time: 27:02.443
Race 2: B. Bustamante
Race Time: 18:49.969
Race 3: M. García
Race Time: 28:05.291
This week, Hamda A. Qubaisi seized her debut win at Valencia. The Spanish celebrated as home racer Nerea Martí took double pole for race 1 and 3, while H. Al Qubaisi began the first race in P2 behind Nerea Martí (who was also racing in her home country), and soon seized the lead with an overtake at Turn 1.
Meanwhile, during the first lap, Lena Bühler and Amna Al Qubaisi made their way up the grid, passing Chloe Grant who began at P3 and dropped 2 places as a result.
Martí also set the fastest lap of the race at 1:34.619 and Spain's García steadily gained positions, working up from P12 to P8, undertaking team mate Chloe Chong while heading into the chicane.
Towards the end of the race, H. Al Qubaisi continued to remain in the lead, building a secure gap of over two seconds from Martí. Sister and team mate Amna was not so lucky, and received two 5 second penalties for exceeding track limits, as a result leaving Bühler who was currently in fourth, with a possibility to inherit a podium, should she finish a clean race.
PREMA racer Bustamante also managed to maintain P5, holding off previous race winner and team mate García, while Chloe Grant finished ahead in fourh place.
Crossing the finish line with Martí 7.1 seconds behind, Hamda Al Qubaisi won her very first race, with Bühler coming in third.
Top 5:
H. Al Qubaisi
N. Martí
L. Bühler
C. Grant
B. Bustamante
Bottom 5:
11. A. Pulling
12. C. Schreiner
13. M. Cáceres
14. E. De Heus
DNF: C. Chong
"To be an F1 Academy race winner is a really good feeling and I am really happy! I knew I had the pace since the Red Bull Ring, and despite never being to this track in Valencia I felt really fast, and I was really confident in practice already. Today, I had a great start, and I knew that if I got ahead, I would stay ahead" - Hamda Al Qubaisi
Top 5:
B. Bustamante
L. Bühler
H. Al Qubaisi
A. Al Qubaisi
M. García
Bottom 5:
11. C. Schreiner
12. A. Pulling
13. M. Gilkes
DNF: N. Martí
DNF: E. De Heus
This weekend in Valencia, Hamda Al Qubaisi was not the only racer to celebrate as the filipino anthem was played for the very first time in Formula 1 to celebrate Bianca Bustamante's maiden win.
Leading from pole to the chequered line, Bustamante seized her maiden win, while holding off persistent challengers Lena Bühler and Hamda Al Qubaisi.
PREMA team mate Chloe Chong began close behind in P2 however this was short lived as swiss driver Léna Bühler saw her swiftly passing Chong.
Much action took place on the opening lap as the safety car came out upon de Heus and Schreiner making contact, resulting in the Dutch driver(De Heus) falling victim to a gravel trap. Briton Abbi Pulling also suffered damage as a result of the incident, and de Heus was given a black flag.
Upon the race restart, home racer García swiftly worked her way up the grid from P14 to P8, and later progressed to P5, succeeding Chloe Chong.
At the same time, the leading filipino maintained a 0.8 second lead against adversaries who were following close behind; Léna Bühler and Hamda Al Qubaisi in particular. Hamda, who had begun in P7, had climbed up to third, achieving the fastest lap of 1:34.823 as she did so.
Bustamante won with a 0.7 second gap between her and Bühler, while Lola Lovinfosse rounded up the final points, racing from P15 to P8.
"I was just driving by feel that race, using all the experience we had gained throughout the whole week of testing. Starting on pole I was really feeling the nerves, knowing there were a lot of fast drivers behind me." - Bianca Bustamante
"The team gave me an amazing car today and I am delighted to take home my first ever career win today!" - Bianca Bustamante
While this weekend at Valencia brought maiden victories for two of the girls, it also provided home racer Marta García with her third win of the season. Having a flawless start from pole while creating a sufficient gap between herself and other racers, García breezed through with ease.
Abbi Pulling, who had begun from P2, slipped down into P3 after losing out to Spain's Nerea Martí, while García was out ahead, forming a 2 second gap all within the short space of the opening laps.
Further down the grid, the sisters Amna and Hamda Al Qubaisi were tightly battling with Jessica Edgar and Lola Lovinfosse. Consequences of the battle resulted in Edgar being forced to pit, having suffered front wing damage.
While García looked confident in the lead, Martí continued persistently behind, seizing fastest lap while reducing the gap between herself and the other Spaniard to less than 2 seconds.
After contact between Chloe Grant and Lola Lovinfosse, Lovinfosse spun into the gravel, resulting in a safety car with 6 laps until the chequered flag, causing all cars to bunch up, reducing the 2 second gap even more.
Once the track was cleared, Grant recieved a 5 second penalty for exceeding tack limits, while García at the front managed to increase the gap to Martí by a second, while a collision between Chloe Chong and Megan Gilkes caused both cars to be confined in the gravel. This enabled Edgar, who had previously sufferred wing damage, to take advantage, seizing P8, and the final points of the race.
Top 5:
M. García
N. Martí
A. Pulling
L. Bühler
H. Al Qubaisi
Bottom 5:
11. C. Grant
12. M. Câceres
13. M. Gilkes
14. C. Chong
DNF: L. Lovinfosse
"We had a good start but I knew that Nerea was quick around here and was doing some fast laps. I managed it quite well after the safety car and was really happy with the win."
"After a difficult Saturday where I qualified further down the grid due to track limits, it feels good to get another win and to get another win in the series." - Marta García