Countryman claims maiden F1 Academy podium in Montreal

With no prior experience at the street circuit, the 16-year-old opened proceedings with a P11 in the sole practice session with a best time of 1:40.471, before heading into a cooler qualifying session later in the day.

Qualifying delivered an encouraging step forward, with Kaylee securing eighth fastest with a 1:39.218 – her best qualifying result of the season – while her second fastest lap of 1:39.502 placed her ninth for the weekend’s opening race.

Kaylee’s fastest lap meant she would start Saturday’s reverse grid race on pole position – her first in the series.

Kaylee continued her weekend with a strong drive to seventh place in the first race. She gained a position off the start to move into P8 and attempted an overtake on Mercedes-backed Payton Westcott on lap 11, but couldn’t make it stick, allowing McLaren’s Ella Lloyd to pass and drop her to P9.

She regained the position when Westcott pitted on lap 13 and crossed the line in P8, before being promoted to P7 following a penalty for a car ahead.

Starting from pole in the reverse grid race, Kaylee dropped to second off the line and came under immediate pressure from Aston Martin’s Mathilda Paatz. She initially held position, but Paatz made the move stick on lap 12, with Kaylee unable to defend into the braking zone.

On the final lap, Ferrari’s Alba Larsen attacked on the inside, with the pair running side-by-side into the final chicane, where Kaylee was unable to hold position. She crossed the line in fourth but was promoted to third following a penalty ahead, securing her maiden F1 Academy podium. A further post-race penalty elevated her to P2.

In the final race of the weekend, conditions became challenging following rain overnight.  Starting from P8, the American racer dropped one place on the opening lap, and struggled for grip,   fell to P15 by the halfway point and was unable to recover, finishing P16.

Kaylee Countryman, TGR Haas F1 Team F1 Academy driver, said: “It’s been a positive weekend. We hit the ground running in free practice, consistently running in the top ten before finishing the session in P11. We then went into qualifying where I secured P8 and P9, which was really exciting as P8 meant I got to start P1 for the reverse grid race.

“In the first race, I started P9 and moved up to finish P7, which was great fun. The track was a blast to drive for the first time in a race. It surprised me how close we all were on lap times, however it was still hard to make overtakes as the track is mostly made up of chicanes.

“It was quite nerve-wracking starting the second race from P1, but I didn’t feel any pressure which was good – especially compared to Shanghai where I put pressure on myself. I didn’t quite get the launch I wanted, so I dropped to P2 for a while. I felt like I had the pace to challenge but didn’t quite have enough extra speed to make a move without bringing others behind into play.

“For the remainder of the race I wasn’t quite close enough to attempt any further moves, so we came home in P2. It was great to be on the podium and to represent TGR Haas F1 Team in front of my family and friends.

“The final race in the rain was another valuable experience. I used it as an opportunity to get more comfortable driving in wet conditions, especially coming from Arizona where we don’t get much rain. I felt a little nervous due to the lack of experience, but I kept pushing and learning, which was the main goal for that race.

“I’m excited to get going again at Silverstone in July, and hopefully we can bring home some more silverware.”

After a defining weekend in Montreal, Kaylee Countryman moves up to 11th in the drivers’ standings, with ART Grand Prix remaining fifth in the teams’ battle.

Kaylee’s F1 Academy rookie season continues at Silverstone Circuit in Great Britain on 3-5 July for Round 3.