F1
Alisha aces Austin to take F1 Academy crown
Alisha Palmowski sealed the 2026 F1 Academy title in Austin, following a superbly controlled Race 1 win with a stunning charge to second in the reverse-grid race.
Heading into the three-race weekend, Alisha led the standings, with title rival Emma Felbermayr on 88 points. A 40-point advantage over the Audi-supported driver would secure the title with a round to spare.
Alisha seized her opportunity in qualifying, though not without a few nervous moments. Leading with minutes remaining, she looked set to start Races 1 and 3 from pole until Mercedes-backed Payton Westcott snatched provisional top spot. With one lap left, Alisha responded with a brilliant 2:07.714 to reclaim pole by just 0.098 seconds.
Officials initially deleted her lap for exceeding track limits at Turn 20 but reinstated it shortly afterwards, securing her fifth and sixth poles of the season.
Alisha aces Austin to take F1 Academy crown
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I came back to the garage and five minutes later got the news that the lap had been reinstated, so what a whirlwind. I went from being on top of the world to the bottom of the world, back on top of the world.
In Race 1, a slow start allowed Westcott to take the lead into Turn 1. Alisha kept her cool, staying close through the Esses before powering past in Turn 7. A Safety Car intervention left Alisha leading Nina Gademan, Alba Larsen and Lisa Billard, with Felbermayr in seventh. Alisha controlled the restart, building a gap to Larsen, who had passed Gademan, although the Ferrari-backed Dane subsequently had to relinquish the position after overtaking beyond track limits.
A second Safety Car set up a final one-lap shootout on lap 13. Alisha again nailed the restart and, as Gademan and Larsen battled behind, raced to her fifth win of the season. With Felbermayr finishing fifth, her championship lead grew to 63 points. However, with the reverse-grid race and Sunday's Feature Race still to come, the title was not yet secured.
Starting eighth in the reverse-grid race, Alisha immediately attacked. When front-row starters Rafaela Ferreira and Jade Jacquet tangled, she climbed to sixth, with Felbermayr directly behind. She swiftly passed Gademan and the struggling Ferreira before Natalia Granada's 10-second stop-and-go penalty for a starting infringement promoted her to third, behind Billard and race leader Larsen.
As Larsen pulled away, Alisha closed on Billard and swept past the French driver to take second. With Felbermayr stuck in fourth and the fastest-lap point also secured, Alisha had done enough to clinch the 2026 title.
Alisha aces Austin to take F1 Academy crown
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It’s incredible. I don’t know what to say. I’m just trying not to cry.
“There has been so much hard work going on behind the scenes, not just from myself, but from all the people behind the camera that you don’t see. They’ve lived it day and night with me throughout the whole year. We’ve worked so hard as a team, Campos Racing and Red Bull Racing, and we’ve really left no stone unturned. It’s been a really special journey," she said afterwards.
“I started racing when I was eight or nine years old and it was just me and my parents,” she added. “My dad was my mechanic, and my mum came to every single race I’ve ever done. They’ve made so many sacrifices and really put their lives on pause to allow me to live my dream. I’m just so glad to repay them.
“I’ve learned so much in the last 18 months to two years with Red Bull Racing. I’ve learned about things I didn’t know, so I’ve developed so much, not only as a driver but as a person as well. I think I’ve matured so much in the last 12 months, and, yeah, it’s just a dream come true.”
Alisha aces Austin to take F1 Academy crown
© Getty
With the title secured, Alisha headed into Sunday's Feature Race determined to finish the weekend on a high. However, a not ideal start allowed Westcott and Gademan through. Although she passed Westcott, she soon came under pressure from the charging Larsen.
Alisha defended calmly, but Larsen's attacks grew increasingly ambitious. On lap 10, a risky move ended in a collision at Turn 12, forcing both drivers to retire.
It was a frustrating end to the weekend, but nothing could diminish Alisha's remarkable championship achievement.