F1 Academy: Marta Garcia takes inaugural Drivers' Championship

The Spanish driver takes home the inaugural Drivers' Championship after holding off Pulling in the first race of the US Race weekend.

Marta Garcia wins inaugural F1 Academy Drivers' Championship

RACE 1

The first broadcasted race of F1 Academy, saw Garcia on pole ahead of championship contender Abbi Pulling on the front row. A start timed so perfectly, a few thought she had jumped the lights, Garcia led the field into turn 1 having to defend Pulling on the inside with Nerea Marti not far behind ready to capitalize on any mistakes from the two in front.

They all kept it pretty tidy and clean through the first lap, with a few overtakes off the line down the field, but the start of Lap 2 saw the three cars of Emily De Heus, Chloe Grant and Maite Caceres coming together going into turn 1, ending all three drivers' races and bringing out a lengthy safety car. Caceres tried to send it down the inside of Grant, but with De Heus on the outside of both of them, Grant had no where to go and Caceres unable to get her car stopped in time, forming a three car pile up off the track.

4 laps of Safety Car saw just half race distance left before the racing was back underway. Championship contender, Lena Buhler made a good move on the restart to get herway up to fourth, but watching her hopes of the championship title slipping away as Garcia & Pulling pulled away from the grid with Nerea Marti putting up a good defence on Buhler for third. Eventually Buhler made her way up to the final podium place

With the battle for third, Edgar and Bustamante were able to close up the gap and the two drivers started having a bit of a scrap leading into the final stages of the race, with Hamda Al Qubaisi on the back of them ready to take advantage of the battle ahead of her.

Just two laps left to go, Bustamante managed to secure fifth place ahead of Edgar, and Hamda Al Qubaisi putting the British driver under pressure. Meanwhile the two race leaders had built a 3 second gap over the rest of the field, with Pulling putting some serious pressure on the provisional Drivers' Champion up front. With one final attempt to go for the lead of the race, Garcia manages to defend her victory of the first race at COTA, and securing the Drivers Championship for the inaugural F1 Academy Season.