Mathilda Paatz wins F1 ACADEMY race after late penalty drama

It was an absolutely wild finish in the F1 ACADEMY Reverse Grid race. Mathilda Paatz has claimed her first-ever victory, a stunning result that also marks a historic first win for Aston Martin in the series. The podium champagne was earned the hard way, as Paatz was elevated to the top spot only after a penalty was applied to Rafaela Ferreira on the very final lap.

Ferreira, driving for Racing Bulls, had driven a beautiful race after jumping polesitter Kaylee Countryman at the start. She managed two separate Safety Car restarts with real composure, but a five-second time penalty for a false start ended her day in disaster, dropping her all the way from first to tenth. It is a brutal way to lose a win, but that is racing.

Chaos continued behind the leaders as well. Alba Larsen originally crossed the line second, but a post-race five-second penalty for a collision with Emma Felbermayr saw her tumble down to 11th. This promoted Countryman to second, with Payton Westcott rounding out the podium. It was a massive day for the grid, and with Alisha Palmowski starting the Feature Race from pole, the intensity is only going to rise.