Alisha Palmowski was dominant in F1 ACADEMY Qualifying securing two Pole Positions at the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix.
Behind her, Rookies Payton Westcott and Megan Bruce had stand out performances, each during a front for start around Montreal. However, it was drama for Ella Lloyd as mechanical issues forced her towards the back of the grid.
Palmowski sets pace in Practice
Palmowski topped this weekends’s only practice session in Montreal with a 1:39.371, finishing just over two tenths clear of series leader Emma Felbermayr at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. With grip levels improving rapidly throughout the 40-minute session, lap times continued to tumble late on as drivers adapted to the dusty surface and tight street-style layout.
Campos Racing rookie Megan Bruce emerged as one of the standout performers in third, later revealing the team took setup “risks” during practice in a bid to unlock stronger qualifying pace. Bruce said the changes gave her confidence they can fight for a top-five result heading into the rest of the weekend.
Green Lights on Qualifying
With a third race added to Canada and Austin, the drivers must be consistent throughout the session. Their fastest time sets up the field for the Reverse Grid Race and Feature Race, while a drivers second fastest time will set the Opening Race.
As the green flags flew over Montreal, it was Palmowski who was once again at the top of the timesheet. The Red Bull Racing driver traded places with Ella Lloyd, who jumped to the top of the timesheets with a 1:40.316. Lisa Billard, who is backed by Gatorade was sitting in third as the highest placed rookie.
With the clock ticking down, consistency was key as PREMA pulled two of their drivers in for early swaps. Rafaela Ferreira used her experience around the circuit to shoot up to second, while Alba Larsen had to abort her lap after crossing the final chicane. Rachel Robertson suffered damage to her Puma backed car after contact with the Wall of Champions.
15 Minutes To Go
With half of qualifying complete, the grid continued to trade places in the top ten. After a strong practice, Bruce continued to improve. The TAG Heuer set herself up for two potential front row starts. Palmowksi continued to dominate in Montreal, the Campos driver bettering her time by nearly six tenths. Fellow Campos driver Ferreira traded second with Westcott before the Brazilian was back on for a potential front row.
After a longer stint in the pits, Lloyd was back on track but was lacking pace. However, it was Palmowski who continued to better the field, dropping 0.066 of her time. Bruce moved back into third to secure a potential Campos top three.
With six minutes left on the clock, Kaylee Countryman was putting herself in prime position for a Reverse Grid pole. Lloyd continued to suffer, skidding across the circuit. After struggling to keep her Rodin out of the wall, Lloyd pulled back into the pits. With three minutes remaining, it was Larsen who settled for seventh, while Mathilda Paatz jumped up to fourth.
Last Dash for Pole
With less than two minutes on the clock, the grid was away for the final Qualifying runs. Felbermayr jumped up into sixth, While Palmowski continued to hold herself over three tenths clear of the field. After losing control in the opening corner, Westcott had to abort her final lap.
As the checkered flag flew, it was Nina Gademan who jumped up to eight, on track for another Reverse Grid pole. However, Countryman was quick to steal the pole, edging Gademan out by 0.086s. Felbermayr jumped up to fourth, while a late spin forced Esmee Kosterman to settle for 18th.
After multiple fastest times, Palmowksi claims pole positions for the Opening Race and the Feature Race. While she had to abort her final lap, Westcott claimed the second seat in the Feature race. Bruce, who will start the Feature race from third, joins Palmowski on Opening Race front row. Felbermayr and Paatz settled for fourth and fifth. Behind them, Larsen edged out Ferreira for sixth.
The attention now turns to F1 ACADEMY’s Opening Race, which will occur on Saturday at 9:45am EDT (GMT-4).