© Oracle Red Bull Racing2024 F1 Academy SingaporeThere was double delight for Hamda Al-Qubaisi on the sizzling streets of Singapore as the Red Bull Racing driver banked a pair of points finishes at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
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Ready To Race© Oracle Red Bull Racing
In Saturday’s opening race Hamda started from a useful P5 on the grid, but attempting to pressure Williams driver Lia Block she was forced to cut the opening corner and dropped back behind wild card entry Ella Lloyd.
Further back Emely was having a tough time as she slid back to last place but she climbed to 15th after McLaren’s Bianca Bustamante received a 10-second penalty for causing an aborted start when she missed her grid slot.
There was better news for Amna, however, as she passed Puma driver Aurelia Nobels and then inherited 13th as Bustamante dropped to last.
Further ahead, Hamda was all over the back of British F4 driver Lloyd’s car but as the race unfolded, Race Control noted a trio of potential false starts and when Dorian Pin, Lola Lovinfosse and Lloyd were handed five-second penalties for their infringements, it became clear that all Hamda needed to do was keep Marti behind and sixth place would be hers.
And after 11 laps the Emirati driver did just that. Ahead Alpine’s Abbi Pulling took the win ahead of Ferrari’s Maya Weug, with Pin just doing enough to hold P3 ahead of Block and Chambers.
Further back Amna attacked late in the race to make her way past Jessica Edgar and she took the flag in P12, but though Emely pushed hard to make her way back through the field, a late move on Nobels saw her spin and she finished 15th.
Double delight for Hamda Al-Qubaisi
Hamda Al-Qubaisi on the sizzling streets of Singapore© Oracle Red Bull Racing
In Saturday’s opening race Hamda started from a useful P5 on the grid© Oracle Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Ford-supported Emely De Heus also raced to the points© Oracle Red Bull Racing
VCARB’s Amna Al-Quabaisi made it to the cusp of the top 10© Oracle Red Bull Racing
Race 2: Hamda lined up sixth on the grid and when the lights went out© Oracle Red Bull Racing
Hamda crossed the line to seal a double six for the weekend© Oracle Red Bull Racing
Hamda lined up sixth on the grid and when the lights went out this time, she held her starting spot to immediately put pressure on P5 starter Marti. Further back Amna, who started from 16th following an issue in qualifying, was quickly on the move and she powered past Edgar and Aston Martin-supported Tina Hausmann to take 14th. Emely meanwhile held her starting 11th place.
The race was neutralised on lap 4 when Bustamante spun under pressure from Emely. The Safety Car was deployed but with the McLaren driver able to get going again, the caution was brief and when racing resumed a lap later Hamda defended well to keep Lloyd behind. The Red Bull driver then shrugged off pressure from the Wild Car racer to build a 1.5s gap over the following laps.
Bustamante’s spin promoted Amna to 13th and the RB driver was soon on the move again making her way past Lola Lovinfosse to take P12 soon after the restart. And on lap 11 Amna ambushed Nobels to rise to the edge of the points with a lap remaining.
Out front, Pulling, Weug and Pin repeated the previous day’s podium order with Block taking fourth place ahead of Marti. Hamda crossed the line to seal a double six for the weekend, while Emely took a valuable point with tenth, just over a second ahead of Amna on what was a strong weekend for the Bulls in Singapore.
