Britain's Palmowski wins F1 Academy title at 20

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 25 Oct, 01:44 · Archive

Britain's Alisha Palmowski became the 2026 F1 Academy champion with three races remaining.

Britain's Alisha Palmowski became the 2026 F1 Academy champion after finishing second in Saturday's reverse grid race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, clinching the title with three races remaining. The 20-year-old holds a 70-point lead over her closest challenger Emma Felbermayr, with only a maximum of 67 points available in the remaining races.

Palmowski, who drives for Campos Racing and is part of the Red Bull driver academy, has dominated the season with five victories from eleven races and six pole positions. She is the youngest F1 Academy champion and the second British driver to win the title after Abbi Pulling in 2024.

Denmark's Alba Larsen won Saturday's reverse grid race, with France's 17-year-old Lisa Billard third. Austria's Emma Felbermayr, who had been the only driver with a mathematical chance of catching Palmowski before the race, finished fourth and is now mathematically eliminated from contention.

In an emotional post-race interview, Palmowski described winning as 'a dream come true'. She thanked her family for their sacrifices and dedicated the championship to her ill grandmother. The season concludes with a feature race in Austin on Sunday and the season finale in Las Vegas in November.

Britain's Palmowski wins F1 Academy title at 20 — Image: BBC Sport

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How it is being reported

Briton Palmowski wins F1 Academy titleBritain's Alisha Palmowski wins the F1 Academy title at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin.BBC Sport · 25 Oct, 01:18
'Dream come true!' - Britain's Palmowski becomes 2026 F1 Academy championBritain's Alisha Palmowski became the 2026 F1 Academy champion with three races to spare after building an unassailable lead in Austin.Sky Sports · 25 Oct, 01:12

In this story: Alisha Palmowski · Campos Racing · Red Bull · Circuit of the Americas · Austin · Emma Felbermayr · Alba Larsen · Abbi Pulling

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