What better birthday present for Lia Block, who turned 19 three days ago, than a first victory in F1 Academy? On the sidelines of the Singapore GP, the young American dominated a chaotic race that was neutralized twice, mastering the restarts to perfection. Here it’s just a matter of trying to catch the other drivers off guard, as there aren’t many strategic places to restart, decrypts Lia Block. I was just waiting for Maya [Weug] to slip into my rearview mirror, then I went full throttle. My two restarts were pretty good. I’m happy with them, it definitely gave me a bit of a break. »

On her Marina Bay debut in 2024, Lia Block started from fourth on the grid. This year, she qualified only eighth. Honestly, the tires just weren’t there at the end, so I struggled a little bit with the rears., she explains after the session. Qualifying and the start of the weekend were not great. This eighth position nevertheless proved to be an advantage for the reverse grid start in the first race. I managed to finish in style with a victory.” congratulates the former champion of rally.

This triumph is a testament to Lia Block’s progress. She will be competing in the all-female category in 2024 with the French team ART Grand Prix and supported by Williams, the driver described herself as “the rookie of rookies.” A veteran of motorsport, the Utah native was just discovering competition in car at the time. In 2025, her second season in F1 Academy was first marked by a first podium at the last round in Zandvoort (Netherlands), after which she declared wanting to ” start on the podium before a victory ».

Lia Block wins race 1 in Singapore

Starting ahead of Aurelia Nobels, Lia Block momentarily left the track to defend her position against her teammate’s better start – an action denounced by the Brazilian on the radio but without consequences for the American. Then regaining the advantage while her rivals were battling at the back, the No. 57 driver secured her lead. The first half of the race was difficult, She admits. Fortunately, there were a lot of battles behind me, which allowed me to focus on myself. I figured out some things, gained some time, and relaxed until the end.” 

While Maya Weug took advantage of the chaos of the restarts to grab second place, the Dutchwoman was unable to worry Lia Block. I looked in my mirrors a few times to see how far away Maya [Weug] was, but I stayed focused on myself. The end was pretty easy, with no arguments, only one block, but we made it. »

For the second race of the event, the ART Grand Prix driver will have to try to move up the field from eighth place. It just means I’m going to have to work ten times harder tomorrow to get another good result, but I’m super happy with this one. » Despite this challenge, the first race showed that it was possible to overtake on the Marina Bay street circuit, suggesting promising prospects for the No. 57 car.

This victory is also encouraging for the daughter of the late rally driver Ken Block, who had struggled to show her full worth in single-seaters. The circle is complete, says the young woman. I started from scratch and now we’re at the top. It’s really great.” This triumph should help him consolidate his future after his second and final season in F1 Academy.

ALSO READ > Singapore – Race 1: First victory for Lia Block, Doriane Pin fifth