Photo: F1 Academy
Alisha Palmowski wrapped up the F1 Academy title with three races to spare in the penultimate round at Circuit of the Americas last weekend.
She pipped Payton Westcott to race three pole 0.098 seconds in qualifying one, and was 0.515s clear of Nina Gademan in third. Natalia Granada and Alba Hurup Larsen filled the next spots.
In qualifying two, Westcott and Gademan reduced their gaps to 0.035s and 0.395s respectively as Palmowski claimed her sixth pole of 2026. Lisa Billard was 0.467s back in fourth, and Larsen was fifth.
Westcott started strongly in race one, and passed Palmowski on the inside heading to the first corner. Palmowski got back past through the esses, as a three-car crash occurred behind.
Later in the lap Westcott went off and dropped to eighth, before the safety car appeared.
Racing resumed on lap four of 13, and Larsen went around Gademan’s outside at turn one. The move was completed at turn two, while Westcott busied herself in battles but only recovered one spot from Ella Stevens.
Felbermayr overtook Granada for fifth at the end of the back straight next time by, as Larsen stayed in Palmowski’s tow. She was granted an opportunity to attack after a late safety car period set up a last-lap restart, but instead lost out to Gademan who swept around the outside of turn one. Palmowski created a 1.985s gap to seal her fifth win of the season.
Rafaela Ferreira had reversed-grid pole for race two, which featured formation lap drama as Granada stopped on track but still lined up in fifth so got a stop-go penalty.
The field navigated turn one cleanly, with fighting kicking off down the back straight. Jade Jacquet passed Ferreira, and Billard defended aggressively against Larsen for third.
Ferreira tapped Jacquet into a spin at turn 15, and Larsen assumed the lead before the safety car appeared as Alexia Danielsson had crashed into Jacquet’s car.
On the lap six restart, and Larsen instantly gapped herself. Billard went around Ferreira’s outside at turn one, with Palmowski following through later in the lap. Ferreira was swamped by the pack on lap seven and fell to eighth, while the top four spread out.
Palmowski slipstreamed past Billard on lap 10, second place enough to make her champion as Larsen became a first-time winner 2.368s up the road.
Race three began with Westcott launching past Palmowski, and Gademan took a very wide line into turn one to shoot past both.
Palmowski moved ahead of Westcott through turn three on lap two, and Larsen slipstreamed past down the back straight.
The top three soon pulled away, and Larsen attached Palmowski through the first three turns of lap six before clipping kerbs. She dived down the inside at turn one next time by, which failed, then made a huge lunge through turns 15 and 16 on lap eight.
That worked, but her exiting line brought Palmowski back alongside until the penultimate corner where Larsen went off. They rubbed wheels, almost did so again when reaching turn one again, then Larsen’s next turn 12 dive was followed by race-ending contact.
That brought out the safety car, eliminating Gademan’s growing lead. However she was unchallenged on the last-lap restart, as Westcott and Granada completed the podium.
Results round-up
Race 1 (13 laps)
1 Alisha Palmowski Campos Racing 30m48.056s
2 Nina Gademan MP Motorsport +1.985s
3 Alba Hurup Larsen MP Motorsport +2.510s
4 Lisa Billard ART GP +3.222s
5 Emma Felbermayr Rodin Motorsport +3.987s
6 Natalia Granada Prema +4.763s
7 Payton Westcott Prema +5.120s
8 Esmee Kosterman MP Motorsport +5.283s
9 Ella Stevens Rodin Motorsport +5.530s
10 Jade Jacquet ART GP +5.770s
Pole: Palmowski, 2m07.714s
Fastest lap: Larsen, 2m08.611s
Race 2 (13 laps)
1 Larsen 30m20.240s
2 Palmowski +2.368s
3 Billard +4.079s
4 Felbermayr +7.145s
5 Gademan +7.886s
6 Westcott +10.057s
7 Megan Bruce Campos Racing +13.310s
8 Ella Lloyd Rodin Motorsport +14.355s
9 Mathilda Paatz Prema +18.602s
10 Kaylee Countryman ART GP +21.168s
FL: Palmowski, 2m08.294s
Race 3 (13 laps)
1 Gademan 29m28.429s
2 Westcott +1.250s
3 Granada +1.963s
4 Jacquet +2.657s
5 Felbermayr +2.991s
6 Billard +4.248s
7 Rachel Robertson Hitech GP +4.389s
8 Lloyd +5.001s
9 Kosterman +5.096s
10 Bruce +5.845s
P: Palmowski, 2m07.955s
FL: Palmowski, 2m08.625s
Championship standings
1 Palmowski 172 2 Gademan 119 3 Felbermayr 113 4 Larsen 76 5 Westcott 76 6 Granada 58 7 Bruce 52 8 Lloyd 52 9 Billard 41 10 Mathilda Paatz 35