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Alba Larsen believes her maiden British F4 podium can help reset her season after the Ferrari driver made an immediate impression on the opening day of F1 ACADEMY in-season testing at Zandvoort.
Larsen posted a 1:37.392 to finish second-fastest in the morning session and third overall, 0.246 seconds behind Day 1 benchmark-setter Alisha Palmowski. Her performance offered an encouraging response after a difficult visit to Silverstone, where she scored just one point.
The Dane’s latest result came after a more positive British F4 weekend. She finished second in the reverse-grid Race 2 to claim her first podium in the championship, becoming the third full-time F1 ACADEMY driver to achieve that result after Abbi Pulling and Ella Lloyd.
The Zandvoort in-season test preview outlined the significance of the two-day running, and Larsen arrived with the benefit of having raced at the circuit only days earlier.
Larsen said her immediate priority was to recover the same confidence and feel while switching between the British F4 machinery and her F1 ACADEMY car.
“It's great to be back in a car,” she said. “Obviously, I'm just getting used to the difference between the British F4 car and this car now that I've been jumping back and forth between the two different cars.”
Her recent track time at Zandvoort helped accelerate that process. Larsen said she felt confident from the beginning of the test and was already quick at the start of the morning run.
The British F4 podium also restored belief after Silverstone. “It has definitely boosted my confidence, especially after a weekend like in Silverstone which was not the result we wanted,” Larsen said.
She felt the pace was strong enough to challenge for victory in Race 2, although several Safety Car periods shaped the contest. “I'm very happy about the podium, but I was in P2 for most of the race and felt like I had the pace for more,” she added.
Larsen’s strongest sector was the first, where she was second-fastest in the morning. She was fifth in Sector 2 and fourth in Sector 3, leaving her best lap almost a tenth slower than her theoretical optimum.
That gap gives Larsen and MP Motorsport a clear target for the second day: combine the speed shown across individual sectors into a more complete lap. A fresh set of tyres has been saved for tomorrow, while the team continues to work on the balance between the two cars and address the time lost in Sector 2.
Ciara is a Dublin native, award-winning film producer, podcaster and writer with 20 years of storytelling experience. A lifelong Leinster and Ireland rugby fan, she turned her attention to the grid after moving to Berlin and co-founding Formula Live Pulse. Now, she applies her producer’s brain to Formula 1, navigating the highs of Oscar Piastri’s rise and the unique stress of being an adopted Ferrari fan. She loves talking and talking about F1, if you give her the chance!