F1 Academy: Alisha Palmowski clinches 2026 title in Austin with three races to spare
Red Bull-backed Briton Alisha Palmowski sealed the F1 Academy crown by finishing second in the Austin reverse-grid race, as Alba Larsen took her first win.
Alisha Palmowski is the 2026 F1 Academy champion. The 20-year-old British driver, who races for Campos Racing with Red Bull support, wrapped up the title at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday by finishing second in the reverse-grid race, a day after winning the weekend's opening race in Austin. Denmark's Alba Larsen took the win, the first of her F1 Academy career.
How the title was won
Palmowski came to Austin with a big advantage and made it bigger on Saturday, winning the opening race ahead of Alpine junior Nina Gademan and Larsen. That victory pushed her lead to 63 points.
In the reverse-grid race she started eighth and needed to finish ahead of her nearest rival, Audi-backed Emma Felbermayr, to settle the championship. She worked her way forward and passed France's Lisa Billard for second on lap 10. Felbermayr crossed the line fourth, and Palmowski's lead grew to 70 points with only 67 left available, making her title mathematically safe with three races still to run.
She is the first Campos Racing driver to win the series and the second British champion after Abbi Pulling in 2024. Over the season she has won five of the 11 races and taken six pole positions.
Larsen's breakthrough
The reverse-grid race was eventful from the start. Racing Bulls-supported Rafaela Ferreira started on pole with Williams-backed Jade Jacquet alongside her, but the two made contact early on and Jacquet spun out. The incident brought out the Safety Car, and Larsen, who drives for MP Motorsport with Ferrari backing, moved into the lead.
The Danish driver controlled the restart and pulled clear to win by 2.6 seconds. Billard held on for third, her first F1 Academy podium, with Felbermayr fourth and Gademan fifth. Payton Westcott, Megan Bruce and Ella Lloyd completed the top eight. Ferreira was placed under investigation for the collision with Jacquet.
What comes next
There is still one more race in Austin, the feature race, which starts at 5pm UK time on Sunday, or 1am on Monday, 26 October, in Malaysia. Palmowski starts that race from pole. The season then finishes with two races at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit on 20 and 21 November, alongside the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Palmowski said her plans for 2027 are being discussed by her management. Previous champions Marta Garcia, Abbi Pulling and Doriane Pin all moved on to other series after their title wins, and she has said she wants to climb as high as she can on the single-seater ladder. Speaking after clinching the title, she said: "We did it guys! It's incredible."
A season shaped by a cancellation
This year's calendar had six rounds after the planned Jeddah event in April was cancelled. To make up for the lost races, Montreal and Austin were each given an extra opening race, which is why Austin hosts three races this weekend instead of two.
Key takeaways
- Alisha Palmowski won the 2026 F1 Academy title with three races remaining.
- She won Saturday's opening race and finished second in Sunday's reverse-grid race.
- Alba Larsen took her first series win, with Lisa Billard third.
- Palmowski leads Felbermayr by 70 points with 67 still available.
- The Austin feature race starts at 1am Monday, Malaysia time, with Palmowski on pole.
FAQ
Who won the 2026 F1 Academy championship? Alisha Palmowski, a British driver racing for Campos Racing with Red Bull support.
Who won the F1 Academy reverse-grid race in Austin? Denmark's Alba Larsen of MP Motorsport, ahead of Palmowski and Lisa Billard.
Where is the final F1 Academy round of 2026? Las Vegas, with two races on 20 and 21 November during the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend.
Sources: F1 Academy, Formula1.com, Sky Sports, Motorsport Week, Wikipedia