Alisha Palmowski is officially the 2026 F1 Academy champion. The Briton fought her way from eighth on the grid to second at the Circuit of The Americas, putting the championship beyond reach with three races still remaining.
But the title celebrations came in a race that was far from straightforward. An opening-lap collision reshuffled the order, Alba Larsen seized her opportunity to claim a maiden victory and Palmowski had to fight her way through the field with her closest championship rival, Emma Felbermayr, right behind her.
With the pressure mounting, Palmowski delivered when it mattered most.
Opening-lap drama shakes up the field
Rafaela Ferreira held onto reverse-grid pole position at the start, but the fight for the lead quickly escalated. Jade Jacquet launched an attack on the Racing Bulls driver, moving ahead before the pair made contact later in the lap.
The collision sent Jacquet out of the race and brought out the Safety Car, with Wild Card driver Alexia Danielsson caught up in the incident.
Larsen was perfectly placed to capitalise. The Ferrari-backed driver moved into the lead as Ferreira struggled with damage, while Palmowski had already worked her way into sixth. Felbermayr was close behind, setting up a crucial battle between the two championship contenders.
Palmowski turns up the pressure
When the Safety Car returned to the pits, Larsen wasted no time in building a gap at the front. Behind her, Lisa Billard moved into second, while Palmowski and Felbermayr continued their climb through the field.
The title rivals both made their way past Nina Gademan, but Palmowski held her nerve to stay ahead of Felbermayr. With every position carrying championship implications, the fight was no longer simply about reaching the podium. Palmowski needed to finish ahead and make her points advantage count.
A 10-second stop-and-go penalty for Natalia Granada, following a starting procedure infringement, promoted Palmowski into third. The Briton then set her sights on Billard, who was holding second behind the flying Larsen.
On Lap 10, Palmowski made her move. Using the slipstream to close the gap, she swept past Billard into Turn 12 to claim second place.
It was the decisive move. With Felbermayr running fourth, Palmowski had done enough to put the championship beyond doubt.
Larsen claims maiden victory
While Palmowski made history behind her, Larsen was busy writing her own milestone.
The Dane had shown strong pace throughout the Austin weekend, finishing on the podium in her previous three races. This time, however, she converted that form into a win, controlling the race from the front after the early chaos.
Larsen crossed the line 2.3 seconds ahead of Palmowski to secure her maiden F1 Academy victory. Billard completed the podium in third, earning her first top-three finish in the series.
Felbermayr finished fourth ahead of Gademan, with Payton Westcott taking sixth on home soil. Megan Bruce finished seventh, while Ella Lloyd recovered to claim the final point in eighth.
Palmowski is champion
Second place was all Palmowski needed to seal the 2026 F1 Academy Drivers’ Championship, following her victory in Friday’s Opening Race.
The Red Bull Racing-supported driver becomes the fourth champion in the series’ history and the first to win the title with Campos Racing. With five victories already to her name this season, Palmowski has turned a commanding campaign into a championship-winning one with three races to spare.
The title fight is over, but Palmowski’s Texas weekend is not. The newly crowned champion will line up on pole position for Sunday’s Feature Race, giving her the chance to celebrate her championship with another victory.
For now, though, the biggest prize is hers.
