Oracle Red Bull Racing

Bulls on the charge in China! F1 Academy Race Report

Palmowski wins on debut, Chambers bags two podiums — the Bulls charge out of Shanghai flying!

WatchChloeandAlisha'sReactionsToRound1InShanghai

Race1

Red Bull Academy Programme drivers Chloe Chambers and Alisha Palmowski got their F1 Academy campaign off to a champagne-soaked start with Palmowski taking victory in her first race with the Team and Chambers racking up a pair of podium finishes to leave the opening race of the season in third place in the standings.

A Double Podium For Red Bull on Race 1 at Shanghai

With reverse grids back in play for Race 1 in Shanghai, Palmowski, who joined Red Bull Racing Pepe Jeans Academy Programme, after an attention-grabbing fifth place as a wild card entry in Qatar last year, lined up fourth on the grid directly ahead of Red Bull Ford Academy Programme driver, Chloe Chambers.

And when the lights went out both were immediately on the march. Chambers almost made it through to second as she opted to go around the outside into the twisting opening complex of corners. But staying tight to the inside, Palmowksi passed Sauber-supported Emma Felbermayr to take second behind Alpine-supported Nina Gademan. Chambers, meanwhile, tucked into fourth place behind Felbermayr.

Further back, wild car driver Shi Wei got stranded on a kerb and the Safety Car had to be deployed to recover her car. On the restart, Chambers pounced almost going onto the grass on the inside into Turn 1 as she dismissed Felbermayr.

The SC was out almost immediately, however, as Aurelia Nobels and Lia Block clashed and then, when the action got going again, it appeared for a third time when Nicole Havrda and Chloe Chong had a coming together.

The Safety Car eventually left the track at the end of lap and Palmowski began to put pressure on Gademan. She didn’t need to make a move in the end as on the penultimate lap the Alpine driver suddenly slowed and then ground to a halt. Palmowski swept past to take the lead and a lap later, after defending the lead from Chambers, claimed her maiden F1 Academy victory and here first for the Red Bull Academy Programme in just her second ever race in the series. Chambers powered home in P2 to make it a spectacular 1-2 start to the season for the Bulls.

Alisha & Chloe Battle It Out

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With the normal qualifying order in place for Sunday’s feature race, Chambers took the rolling start, put in place due to oil on the track, in fourth with Palmowski fifth. Ahead of the Bulls, Mercedes’ Doriane Pin took the lead ahead of Ferrari’s Maya Weug, with Tommy Hilfiger driver Alba Larsen in third.

A Battle To The Finish For Alisha & Chloe

Chambers immediately began to put pressure on Larsen and while the Dane put up a determined fifth, fending off a strong challenge on lap 8, she could do nothing when Chamber doveived down the inside to Turn 1 on the penultimate lap to seal a battling second podium of the weekend behind Pin and Weug.

Chloe Chambers On The Podium At Shanghai

Palmowksi, meanwhile, bagged eight more points with a solid sixth place after being passed late in the race by Felbermayr.

The results mean that Pin leads the standings after the opening weekend on 31 points, five clear of Maya Weug. Then it’s the two Red Bull-supported drivers with Chloe Chambers in third place on 24 points and rookie Alisha Palmowski six points further back in fourth place.

A Proud Alisha & Christian Horner

Next up is high-commitment, high-speed;, Jeddah in two weeks’ time when the Bulls will once again charge for the podium.