Silverstone debut sees Bättig set F1 Academy pace

Chiara Bättig made a headline-grabbing F1 Academy debut at Silverstone by topping Free Practice as the Wild Card entry, becoming the first Wild Card driver to lead a session in the series. She set the pace with a lap of 2:02.640, finishing 0.208 seconds clear of championship leader Alisha Palmowski and two tenths ahead of the field in a session that pointed to a closely fought weekend ahead.

Palmowski, who was the last driver on track, briefly challenged for the fastest time with a late improvement before settling for second. Nina Gademan was third, 0.241 seconds off Bättig’s benchmark, while Emma Felbermayr and Ella Stevens rounded out the top five. Ava Dobson, Rachel Robertson, Mercedes driver Payton Westcott, Lisa Billard and Ella Lloyd completed the top 10.

Bättig said the opening run was a positive step toward a strong weekend, although she added that she still had a lot to learn in the car. She said the car felt different from what she was used to, with heavier braking, heavier steering and more grip. She also expected qualifying to be more difficult later in the day, with the Silverstone track set to improve after running from Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3. Qualifying was scheduled for 18:00 local time, with Free Practice setting up the fight for pole.