Birthday girl Nina Gademan wins her first F1 Academy race after near race ban

On her 22nd birthday, Nina Gademan claimed her first ever F1 Academy win today at Zandvoort, after almost being barred from starting her home race. Could the script have been any more dramatic?

“Oh my god, from being declared unfit to race to winning. How did we manage that?” Gademan exclaimed over the team radio after crossing the finish line. Birthday girl and race winner, despite nearly being ruled out. The story of this young Dutch racing talent was packed with drama from start to finish.

Following Friday’s opening practice, Gademan was deemed unfit during the mandatory medical check. The medical committee initially considered banning her from starting, but on Saturday morning, she was finally cleared to race. The rest, as they say, is history.

Debut Victory
Two races are held at Zandvoort this weekend. Today was the first, and the second will follow tomorrow morning. Gademan, who competed in the British Formula 4 Championship in 2023, took the win today, although with one footnote. The race used a reverse grid format, where the top ten qualifiers start in reverse order. This rule, introduced by the F1 Academy to boost race excitement, meant that Gademan, who qualified tenth, started from pole position. Still, it was an impressive achievement by the 22-year-old to convert that opportunity into victory. It was her maiden win in the series.

Fellow Dutch driver Maya Weug (Scuderia Ferrari/MP), who already secured a win earlier this year in Jeddah, also made the podium, finishing third behind American Lia Block. In the overall standings, Weug is the highest-ranked Dutch driver in third place. She has a strong chance at victory tomorrow, as Race 2 will use the qualifying results as the starting grid, and Weug was fastest in that session.