F1 Academy: in Montreal for a three-race weekend

It’s the first time that the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy’s Maya Weug and Aurelia Nobels have been to Canada, and a first time for the all-female series too.

This year, the F1 Academy is visiting Canada and therefore the Gilles Villeneuve circuit for the very first time. The track has seen plenty of excitement over the years and it’s not easy to get to grips with it, with high top speeds and, like any street circuit, the walls are close at hand. Maya Weug comes to Montreal as the series leader, having been a consistent top-three finisher since the start of the season. From the five races so far, Weug has taken one win, two second places, as well as a third and a fourth. 

New challenge. Maya will have to defend her lead on a track that is new to all competitors and she’s keen to see how it goes. “I’ve driven the track on the simulator and I loved it straightaway,” commented Weug. “I like street circuits, because brushing the walls as you do is a real adrenalin rush. I think driving it for real will be even better. One key aspect is that the track being new to all the drivers puts everyone on the same footing, making the one free practice session really crucial. It will be important to make the most of it to try and get a really good feel for the car, given that qualifying takes place just a few hours later.”

Three races. The Montreal weekend will feature three races rather than the usual two. The series organisers have decided to make up for the race cancelled because of bad weather at the previous round in Miami, based on the grid order established in Florida. “I will start Race 1 from the fifth row in tenth place,” explained Maya. “I’ll be aiming to get a good start and try and move up the order as every single point is precious. And then qualifying in Montreal will determine the grid for races 2 and 3, where I hope to make the most of all the preparation I have done with the team and the Driver Academy.”

Aurelia. Aurelia Nobels is equally keen to get back on track. The 18 year old Brazilian had a strong weekend in Miami, scoring points for the first time this season, after finishing sixth in Race 1. “After a lot of bad luck, it’s nice to start building on all the work from the start of the season,” she said. “Now the aim is to have another good weekend in Montreal.”

 

Programme

Friday

11.05 local (17.05 CEST) free practice 40 minutes

18.30 (00.30 CEST) qualifying 30 minutes

Saturday

09.05 (15.05 CEST) Race 1

14.50 (20.50 CEST) Race 2

Sunday

10.55 (16.55 CEST) Race 3