Alisha Palmowski stormed to pole position in Shanghai during Academy qualifying, starting the new F1 Academy season with a career-best result. After a dominant showing in free practice, the Red Bull-backed driver delivered when it mattered most, putting more than four tenths between herself and the rest of the field.
Palmowski’s second season in the series could hardly have begun better. After coming close to pole several times last year, she finally converted her pace into the fastest lap of the session. Her 2:04.182 lap secured her maiden pole position and confirmed the strong form she had already shown earlier in the day.
With a win at the same circuit last season still fresh in memory, Palmowski now heads into the races in Shanghai with confidence. Behind her, Alba Larsen and Emma Felbermayr completed the top three after a competitive Academy qualifying session that hinted at a closely fought weekend ahead.
A promising start in red
If Palmowski’s pole confirmed her pace, Alba Larsen’s performance underlined how quickly she is adapting to her new environment. The seventeen-year-old Dane, now part of the Ferrari Driver Academy programme, secured P2 in Academy qualifying in what was her first outing with Ferrari backing.
Larsen had looked strong throughout the session and even held provisional pole at one stage after setting an early benchmark lap. For a long stretch it appeared as though that time might hold, but Palmowski ultimately found another step in the final minutes to take the top spot.
Still, Larsen’s front-row start represents the best qualifying result of her young F1 Academy career and an encouraging debut for the Ferrari-supported driver.
First rookie outings
The Chinese Grand Prix also marked the first Academy qualifying session for several drivers entering F1 Academy this season, offering an early glimpse of how the new class of rookies might measure up against the more experienced names on the grid.
Among them, Payton Westcott made the strongest impression. The Mercedes-backed driver looked genuinely capable of challenging for pole during large parts of the session, repeatedly trading purple sectors with the leading drivers before eventually securing fourth place. After showing promising pace during practice earlier in the day, Westcott approached her first qualifying session in the series with composure and ultimately finished as the top rookie.
Behind her, fellow newcomers Lisa Billard and Natalia Granada also produced encouraging performances. The pair finished sixth and seventh respectively, separated by only a few thousandths of a second as the midfield remained tightly packed throughout the final stages of Academy qualifying.
Not every rookie enjoyed such a smooth introduction to the series, however. Kaylee Countryman’s session was disrupted when her car slowed to a halt on the straight, bringing out a red flag with around ten minutes remaining. The stoppage compressed the final runs for the entire field and forced drivers into a frantic final push once the session resumed. Countryman eventually managed to return to the pit lane after what appeared to be a power unit issue, but the interruption left her down in P17 on the grid.
Reverse pole for Nina Gademan
Nina Gademan’s eighth place in Academy qualifying carries particular significance because of the championship’s reverse-grid format. With the top eight positions inverted for Race 1, the Alpine-supported driver will start from pole position in the opening race of the weekend.
It is a scenario Gademan knows well. During the 2025 Shanghai round she also found herself starting from the reverse-grid pole and briefly led the race before mechanical problems forced her to retire.
This time, she will be hoping to turn that opportunity into a victory, with Natalia Granada lining up alongside her on the front row.
A difficult start for Lloyd
While several drivers left F1 Academy qualifying with reasons for optimism, the session proved far more difficult for Ella Lloyd.
After an impressive rookie campaign last season that included multiple podiums, the McLaren-backed driver arrived in Shanghai widely considered one of the favourites for the 2026 title fight. However, the qualifying session did not unfold as she would have hoped.
Lloyd struggled with oversteer throughout the session and never quite found the rhythm she had shown earlier in practice. In the end she could manage only P10, leaving her outside the most favourable positions for both races of the weekend.
It is only the first round of the season, but the result means Lloyd will likely need to rely on strong race pace if she wants to recover positions and begin her title challenge on the right foot.
