F1 Academy: Alisha Palmowski is 2026 champion in Austin

Alisha Palmowski is the 2026 F1 Academy champion. The 20-year-old Briton, racing for Campos Racing, clinched the title in the reverse-grid race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, held on the United States Grand Prix weekend. Second in the race, she secured the crown with three races still to run.

A decisive recovery

Palmowski arrived in Austin with a 63-point championship lead. She started eighth on the grid, right ahead of her closest title rival, Emma Felbermayr. After a lively opening lap she was sixth before the restart, then passed Nina Gademan and inherited third after a penalty for Natalia Granada.

On lap 10 she passed Lisa Billard to move into second. That was enough to make the title a certainty: Felbermayr, fourth, could no longer catch her.

The race: Larsen wins

The victory went to Alba Larsen (Ferrari), her first win in F1 Academy. She took the lead after a chaotic first lap in which polesitter Rafaela Ferreira and Jade Jacquet made contact, bringing out the Safety Car. Billard completed the podium, the first of her career in the series.

A landmark title for Campos

Palmowski is in her second season in the category and already has five wins this year, including Montreal and Silverstone. She becomes the series' fourth champion, after Marta Garcia, Abbi Pulling and Doriane Pin, and the first Campos Racing driver to win the title.

The season is not over: Palmowski is due to start Sunday's Feature Race in Austin from pole position, with a chance of a sixth win of the year.

Key takeaways

• Alisha Palmowski is 2026 F1 Academy champion, with three races to go.
• She sealed the title by finishing second in the Austin reverse-grid race, behind Alba Larsen.
• She is the first champion from Campos Racing.