© Getty ImagesPodium for Palmowski in ZandvoortRead the race report from Zandvoort!
RedBullRacingPepeJeansAcademyProgrammedriverAlishaPalmowskipickedupasuperbfourthpodiumoftheseason,followingupaseventh-placefinishinRace1withastrongsecondplaceinthemainpoints-scoringraceatZandvoort.ButafterrackingupasolidfifthplaceinRace1,therewasSundayheartbreakforRedBullFord’sChloeChamberswhenatechnicalissueonthegridmeantshecouldn’ttakethestart.
After the break following F1 Academy’s last round in Montreal, the Bulls went into the Zandvoort weekend with Chloe in second place in the title standings on 89 points and just 20 behind Mercedes’ backed series leader Doriane Pin. Alisha, meanwhile, started the weekend in fifth place, 14 points behind McLaren-supported Ella Lloyd. And after a tricky wet/dry qualifying session, both looked good to make progress, with Alisha qualifying second and Chloe fourth quickest on Saturday morning.
Chloe's raring to go...© Getty Images
The qualifying result meant Chloe lined up fifth for Race 1 with Alisha in P7 on the grid. And when the lights went out, both were quickly on the attack.
Chloe looked to put pressure on P4 starter Pin and looked to have got ahead around the outside into Turn 1, but on exit, Doriane forced the American racer out wide; there was contact, and Chloe went off track.
Alisha's on the charge© Getty Images
The incident dropped the title contender to P8, behind Alisha, but on the following lap the pair were gifted a place when third-placed Tina Hausmann clattered over the kerbs in Turn 8 and ended up in the barriers.
After two laps behind the Safety Car, the race resumed, and on lap 7 Chloe managed to get past Alisha to claim sixth place.
Her next target was title rival Doriane, and two laps later the US racer launched her attack. On the run to Turn 7 she dived down the inside and bravely claimed the better inside line to emerge ahead as they exited the following corner.
Alisha then closed in on Doriane, but with the gaps solidifying in the final laps there was no way past and she crossed the line in P7. Chloe also found her way forward blocked, and though she pressured Ella right to the flag, she finished with P5 and four points.
Chloe’s Race 1 result meant she went into Sunday’s feature race still in P2 in the overall standings and a point closer to Pin. And with Pin one place behind her on the grid, there was plenty of hope that she could narrow the championship gap even more.
But as the cars prepared for the formation lap, Chloe had a mechanical issue and she was rolled off the grid by her mechanics. A frustrating end to a hopeful race, with the car issue out of everyone’s control.
Alisha making moves at Zandvoort© Getty Images
The start didn’t initially appear kind to Alisha either. The British driver lined up in P2 on the grid, but she was overtaken by Ella and the McLaren racer powered through to demote Alisha to third place.
Alisha recovered from the apparent setback, and as Ferrari-backed Maya Weug took up a commanding lead, Alisha settled into a relentless charge to get past her rival, probing and pressing in the hope that her Welsh rival would make a mistake.
In the end, however, it transpired that Ella’s mistake had been made at the start. Replays showed that the McLaren driver had moved in her grid slot before the start signal, and after 12 laps, the race officials handed her a five-second time penalty.
Just half a second behind, all Alisha had to do was maintain the gap, but there was a nervous moment for the Red Bull driver on lap 14 when she went high and wide in Turn 3 and almost spun.
She showed good car control, however, and after correcting the slide, she once again closed up to Lloyd. When the pair crossed the line behind Maya, Alisha jumped to P2, claiming her fourth podium of the season and her first in a feature race.
Well done to the Podium finishers© Getty Images
Maya’s 25 points in Race 2, allied to Chloe’s misfortune, mean the Red Bull Ford racer drops to third in the title standings. Doriane, who took 13 points from the Zandvoort weekend, still leads on 127, while Maya is now in second place, 20 points behind. Chloe now has 93 points, 34 points off Doriane, with two rounds and four races remaining.
Despite a strong 20-point haul, Alisha leaves the Netherlands still in P5 in the standings. Ella’s brace of P4 finishes earned the McLaren driver 17 points, and she sits fourth in the standings, a narrower 11 points ahead of Alisha.
The battle recommences in a little over a month’s time, and it couldn’t be at a better venue – under the spotlights and in punishing conditions, the championship temperature gets set to soar at Singapore’s Marina Bay Street circuit.
