Marta García shines in Spielberg to take two wins in F1 Academy Round 1

PREMA Racing’s Marta García was on top in Spielberg for the inaugural race day of F1 Academy as the young Spaniard won Races 1 and 3 to leave Austria top of the Championship standings. MP Motorsport’s Amna Al Qubaisi won Race 2, having driven a commanding race, leading from start to finish after starting on pole.

The first race saw Marta García lead from pole, while the other PREMA Racing driver Bianca Bustamante dropped a position on the opening lap. MP Motorsport’s Emely de Heus and Campos Racing’s Lola Lovinfosse came together, with Lovinfosse taking a five-second penalty for the collision. While García drove a controlled race up front, it was a battle for the podium between Amna Al Qubaisi, Abbi Pulling, Jessica Edgar and Bustamante, who had recovered after a poor first lap. García eventually won the opening race, while Nerea Martí finished second, ahead of Bustamante. Martí was disqualified post race, however, due to her car not being in line with the Technical Regulations. Martí’s disqualification meant Bustamante finished second, with Edgar promoted to the podium. 

The second race saw MP Motorsport’s Amna Al Qubaisi put in the weekend’s most commanding drive as she led from pole to the chequered flag. She had started on pole in the second race, which is the reverse grid race, and with both the PREMA Racing drivers fighting each other and Pulling having to retire early, Amna put in a stellar drive, finishing 1.5 seconds clear of ART Grand Prix’s Lena Bühler. Campos Racing’s Lola Lovinfosse took the final podium place, finishing third. 

It was García who started from pole for the final race of the weekend, with Martí and Hamda Al Qubaisi behind. García sped off the line and was almost two seconds clear within a couple of laps. Hamda, meanwhile, was involved in a tight scrap with Martí for the second place; she eventually went on the outside of Turn 3 to take P2. Fresh off the back from her win in Race 2, Amna started chasing down García, who pulled out all her tricks to keep her behind. García eventually managed to hold on for the victory, scoring her second win out of the three races, with Hamda Al Qubaisi finishing second ahead of Martí. Pulling had a stellar third race as well as she finished P4, having started P14. 

With the teams having left Spielberg, it is PREMA Racing’s Marta García on top of the Driver’s Standings with 58 points, with MP Motorsport’s Amna Al Qubaisi in second place with 36 points ahead of her sister Hamda in third with 26 points. Abbi Pulling is a further position behind with 25 points.

PREMA Racing, meanwhile, top the Constructors’ Standings with 82 points, with MP Motorsport in second with 65 points and Rodin Carlin behind them with 53 points.

The teams return to track in a week’s time for Round 2 at Valencia, Spain, between May 5 and 7, 2023.