Alisha Palmowski is one step closer to securing the F1 Academy title after securing her fifth win of the season in the Opening Race at the 2026 United States Grand Prix.
The Red Bull Racing-backed driver overcame an early challenge from home favourite Payton Westcott and two Safety Car interruptions to secure victory. Nina Gademan finished second ahead of MP Motorsport teammate Alba Larsen, completing the podium after a closely fought battle between the pair.
Palmowski dominates Friday
Heading into the penultimate round of the season, Palmowski held a commanding 48-point advantage over championship rival Emma Felbermayr. With an opportunity to secure the title before next month’s season finale in Las Vegas.
The Campos Racing driver entered Friday’s race from pole position after a dramatic qualifying session on Thursday. Palmowski’s fastest lap had initially been deleted for track limits before being reinstated, securing pole ahead of Payton Westcott by just 0.098 seconds. Gademan lined up third, with Lisa Billard fourth and Larsen completing the top five. Meanwhile, Felbermayr faced a difficult challenge from 11th on the grid.
Westcott’s promising start ends in disappointment
Westcott made an impressive getaway when the lights went out, immediately taking the lead from Palmowski as the field approached the opening corners.
However, the American’s advantage was short-lived. Palmowski fought back through the high-speed esses, sweeping around the outside at Turn 6 before completing the move into Turn 7. Westcott’s race then took another turn for the worse when she suffered a snap of oversteer exiting Turn 8. The American ran wide into the dirt and dropping to eighth.
Further back, contact between Rachel Robertson and Rafaela Ferreira in the opening sector sent Ferreira into a spin. Robertson sustained suspension damage and was forced to retire, prompting the first Safety Car of the afternoon. Palmowski maintained the lead ahead of Gademan, Larsen and Billard as the field circulated behind the Safety Car.
Larsen challenges for second as Palmowski controls the race
Racing resumed on Lap 4, with Palmowski timing her restart well to retain the lead despite pressure from Gademan. Behind the championship leader, Larsen immediately challenged her MP Motorsport teammate for second place. The Ferrari-backed driver completed a move at Turn 1. However, Gademan questioned whether Larsen had exceeded track limits and gained an advantage.
Race Control subsequently placed the incident under investigation, leaving Larsen’s position uncertain as she began closing the gap to Palmowski. By Lap 8, Larsen had reduced the gap to less than a second, eventually closing to within half a second of the race leader. Palmowski briefly ran wide at the final corner but managed to retain her advantage.
Further down the order, Felbermayr worked her way through the field, overtaking Natalia Granada to move into fifth and putting pressure on Billard for fourth. Westcott also began recovering from her opening-lap mistake, making her way back into the points after passing Ella Stevens and Jade Jacquet.
Late Safety Car sets up final-lap showdown
With just four laps remaining, another incident brought the race under Safety Car conditions. Ella Lloyd and Ava Dobson made contact while battling for 12th position on the approach to Turn 11. Dobson was forced to retire, while Lloyd managed to continue after spinning.
The interruption eliminated Palmowski’s advantage and set up a tense conclusion to the 13-lap contest. Meanwhile, Race Control instructed Larsen to return second position to Gademan following their earlier battle. However, with overtaking prohibited under Safety Car conditions, the position could not immediately be handed back.
The Safety Car returned to the pits at the end of Lap 12, leaving the drivers with one final racing lap. Palmowski delivered another strong restart, quickly pulling clear as the battle for second intensified behind her.
Gademan took advantage of the restart to move ahead of Larsen, reclaiming second position on track. Larsen remained close but was unable to find a way back past her teammate.
Palmowski takes another crucial victory
Palmowski crossed the line 1.9 seconds clear of Gademan, securing another important victory in her pursuit of the F1 Academy championship. Gademan held on to second, with Larsen completing the podium after the investigation into her earlier overtake was ultimately dropped.
Billard finished fourth ahead of Felbermayr, who recovered from 11th on the grid to limit the damage to her championship campaign. Granada secured sixth, while Westcott recovered to seventh after her disappointing opening lap. Esmee Kosterman, Stevens and Jacquet completed the top ten.
Palmowski’s victory further strengthens her position at the top of the Drivers’ Championship, with two races remaining in Austin. The action continues on Saturday with the Reverse Grid Race, before Sunday’s Feature Race offers Palmowski another opportunity to secure the championship ahead of the Las Vegas finale.
Feature Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool