There was quite a stir in Zandvoort on Friday regarding the fitness of F1 Academy driver Nina Gademan. Would she participate or not? Ultimately, she was deemed fit enough to compete just in time on Saturday morning; fortunately so, as she immediately won the first of two races this weekend.
In the first practice in Zandvoort, Gademan was in action as usual on Friday. However, during the physical examination for the second free practice, there was a commotion: she was not fit enough, according to the medical team’s verdict. The reasons were not immediately clear, but the uproar raised fears that Gademan, who had previously struggled with physical issues this year, might have to miss her home race.
On Saturday morning, she was finally deemed fit enough to participate in the qualification. All’s well that ends well. And it got even better, thanks to an – as strange as it sounds – eighth place. Because the top 8 drivers in the first race start in reverse order, Gademan found herself suddenly on pole in Zandvoort on Saturday afternoon. She then brilliantly converted this position into a victory. As a result, the Dutch national anthem was played on the podium of the Dutch GP.
Gademan was flanked by Maya Weug, who finished third. She thus contributed to further Dutch success. On Sunday morning, Weug has the chance to repeat Gademan’s feat: Weug was the fastest in the qualification and therefore has pole position for race 2 as the number 1. Esmee Kosterman, making her debut in the F1 Academy thanks to a wildcard, finished twelfth.
