Alba Larsen claimed her maiden F1 Academy victory in Austin, while Alisha Palmowski became the youngest champion in series history.
The Ferrari-backed driver secured her first victory at the Circuit of the Americas, ending a frustrating run of near misses.Palmowski charged from eighth to second, securing the 2026 Drivers’ Championship with three races remaining. Lisa Billard completed the podium, claiming her first F1 Academy top-three finish.
The weekend so far
Palmowski entered the penultimate round with a 48-point championship advantage over Emma Felbermayr. The Red Bull Racing-backed driver dominated Thursday’s qualifying session, securing pole position for both the Opening Race and Feature Race. Her fastest lap was initially deleted for track limits before being reinstated, placing her ahead of Payton Westcott.
Palmowski carried that momentum into Friday’s Opening Race, overcoming Westcott’s early challenge and two Safety Car interruptions. She claimed her fifth victory of the season, finishing ahead of Nina Gademan and Larsen. The result extended her championship advantage to 63 points, putting the title within reach during Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race.
With the top eight qualifiers reversed, Rafaela Ferreira lined up on pole ahead of Jade Jacquet and Billard. Larsen started fourth, while Palmowski lined up eighth, one position ahead of championship rival Felbermayr.
Opening lap drama brings out the Safety Car
Before the race began, Natalia Granada encountered trouble on the formation lap, stopping shortly after Turn 12. Although she managed to continue, the incident later resulted in a penalty.
Ferreira maintained her advantage at the start, while Felbermayr made an impressive getaway. The Sauber-backed driver swept around the outside of Palmowski, moving into eighth position. However, the opening lap quickly descended into chaos as the leading drivers battled for position.
Larsen moved ahead of Billard along the back straight, while Jacquet challenged Ferreira for the lead. Jacquet completed her move into Turn 12, taking the lead from the Brazilian. Ferreira attempted to reclaim the position approaching Turn 16, but contact between the pair sent Jacquet spinning.
Wildcard driver Alexia Danielsson could not avoid the stranded Williams-backed car, forcing both drivers into retirement. Meanwhile, Palmowski capitalised on the confusion to move back ahead of Felbermayr.
Larsen emerged as the biggest beneficiary, overtaking Ferreira at Turn 19 to take the lead. Billard moved into second, with Granada third ahead of Gademan and Palmowski. The Safety Car was subsequently deployed to recover the stranded cars.
Larsen controls the restart as Ferreira falls down the order
Racing resumed on Lap 6, with Larsen maintaining her advantage at the front. Behind her, Ferreira struggled to recover from the opening-lap incident, losing positions as the field began attacking.
The Brazilian’s afternoon deteriorated further after receiving a five-second penalty for causing the collision with Jacquet. Granada also received a 10-second stop-and-go penalty following her formation-lap infringement. The penalty ended her hopes of a strong result despite running among the leading drivers.
Palmowski continued progressing through the field, moving ahead of Gademan before benefiting from Granada’s penalty. The championship leader climbed into third, setting her sights on Billard.
Further back, Ella Lloyd and Rachel Robertson made contact during a battle involving Ella Stevens at Turn 11. Robertson sustained front-wing damage, while Stevens dropped down the order.
Palmowski charges into second as championship comes into reach
While Larsen controlled the race from the front, Palmowski turned her attention towards Billard. On Lap 10, Palmowski secured a strong exit from Turn 11, closing on the French driver along the back straight. The Red Bull Racing-backed driver moved to the inside approaching Turn 12, completing the overtake for second.
The move proved decisive in her championship campaign, with Felbermayr unable to match her rival’s points haul. With Larsen holding a comfortable advantage, Palmowski focused on bringing the car home. Second place would be enough to secure the championship before Sunday’s Feature Race.
Larsen takes maiden victory as Palmowski makes history
Larsen crossed the line to claim her maiden F1 Academy victory, converting fourth on the grid into a breakthrough win. Palmowski finished second, completing an impressive recovery from eighth to become the youngest champion in F1 Academy history.
The 20-year-old secured the title with three races remaining, including Sunday’s Feature Race and the Las Vegas finale. Billard held on to third, securing her maiden podium after finishing a career-best fourth in Friday’s Opening Race.
Felbermayr finished fourth, with Gademan fifth and Westcott sixth. Megan Bruce and Lloyd completed the points-paying positions.
For Larsen, the victory marked a significant milestone after several near misses throughout the season. However, the championship celebrations belonged to Palmowski, whose dominant campaign included five victories before securing the title.
With the Drivers’ Championship decided, attention now turns to Sunday’s Feature Race. Palmowski will start from pole as the newly crowned champion, while her rivals continue battling for championship positions.
Feature Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool