The 2026 F1 Academy season opened in Shanghai, with Alisha Palmowski securing a breakthrough pole position for Campos Racing before Nina Gademan claimed victory in Race One, followed by Emma Felbermayr winning a dramatic Race Two after a late restart battle with Palmowski.
Practice
F1 Academy returned to action in Montréal with a single Free Practice session at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, where Alisha Palmowski topped the timesheets for Campos Racing. She set the fastest lap in a session where track evolution played a major role, seeing drivers adapt to the fast and unforgiving Canadian circuit.
Emma Felbermayr finished second and continued her strong 2026 form after arriving in Canada as the championship leader. Rookie Megan Bruce impressed by ending the session as the fastest newcomer, while Lisa Billard and Alba Larsen also looked competitive despite difficult conditions and wall contact for Larsen.
The session marked the series’ return after a long break since Shanghai, with Montréal’s walls quickly punishing mistakes as several drivers struggled for grip and confidence around the semi-street circuit. Palmowski’s pace reinforced her reputation as one of the strongest qualifiers in the field, and made her an early favourite heading into qualifying.
Qualifying
Qualifying for Round 2 of the 2026 F1 Academy season in Montréal was dominated by Alisha Palmowski, who controlled the session from start to finish at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Driving for Campos Racing, Palmowski consistently improved throughout the 30-minute session and secured double pole position with a fastest lap of 1:38.466, putting herself on pole for both the Feature Race and the new Opening Race format.
Payton Westcott also impressed by qualifying second overall for PREMA Racing, earning her first front-row start in the series, while Megan Bruce continued a strong Campos showing by taking third. Championship leader Emma Felbermayr qualified fourth, and remained firmly in contention heading into the weekend’s races.
The session featured tricky early conditions, with a dusty circuit causing several lock-ups and off-track moments as drivers searched for grip. Despite the challenges, the field remained extremely close, with all 18 drivers covered by less than two seconds.
Under the 2026 Montréal weekend format, the grid for the Opening Race was determined by each driver’s second-fastest qualifying lap, while the Reverse Grid Race flipped the top eight qualifiers. This led to Kaylee Countryman inheriting the reverse-grid pole after qualifying eighth overall.
Fans and commentators particularly praised Palmowski’s pace and consistency, with several noting that she appeared untouchable by the end of the session. Westcott’s performance also attracted attention as another standout rookie display.
Race One
The Opening Race in Montreal commenced with immediate drama, as Alisha Palmowski launched perfectly from pole position and quickly pulled away from the field. Behind her, championship leader Emma Felbermayr stalled on the grid after releasing the clutch too early, dropping to the back before starting her recovery drive. Natalia Granada also ran into trouble on the opening lap after spinning and making contact with Ava Dobson, leaving Dobson with a puncture.
Palmowski controlled the race comfortably out front while battles intensified throughout the midfield, with Lisa Billard damaging her front wing early on. Elsewhere, Ella Lloyd and Chloe Stevens fought hard over ninth place, with Lloyd eventually coming out ahead. Esmee Kosterman later clipped the wall on Lap 6, suffering a puncture and front wing damage before returning to the pits for repairs.
Penalties also played a major role in the race. Payton Westcott and Nina Gademan both received five-second penalties for failing to follow Race Director instructions, while Kosterman was handed another five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Westcott’s race became even more difficult later on after grass became lodged underneath her car during a battle for third, forcing her into the pits on Lap 13 with overheating issues.
At the front, Palmowski remained untouchable throughout the race and cruised to a dominant victory, finishing more than ten seconds clear of Campos Racing teammate Megan Bruce and securing an impressive one-two finish for the team in Montréal.
Top Ten
- Alisha Palmowski
- Megan Bruce
- Mathilda Paatz
- Rafaela Ferreira
- Alba Larson
- Ella Lloyd
- Kaylee Countryman
- Ella Stevens
- Nina Gademan
- Emma Felbermayr
Race Two
Race Two of the 2026 Canadian round of F1 Academy at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was filled with incidents, penalties, and safety cars from start to finish.
Ferreira made a brilliant launch at the start and took the lead from the reverse-grid polesitter into Turn One, while Alisha Palmowski locked up in the opening corners. Early drama followed when Emma Felbermayr spun after contact with Chloe Larson, which dropped Felbermayr to the back of the field.
The race escalated further when Ava Dobson crashed into the wall after Robertson made contact with another driver and stopped on the start-finish straight. Both drivers retired from the race; although the caution was initially delayed, the safety car was eventually deployed for Robertson’s stranded car. Racing resumed on Lap 7.
Soon after the restart, Palmowski and Larson made contact again, which forced Palmowski off track and damaged her front wing. Ella Stevens received a ten-second stop-and-go penalty for being out of position during the safety car procedure. Ferreira’s start was also investigated for a possible false start, while Aurelia Nobels Jacquet received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
Another major collision occurred on Lap 12 when Nina Gademan and Palmowski collided. Palmowski spun after the contact but continued, while Gademan’s damaged front wing ended up in the wall, bringing out another safety car. Gademan later received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane as well.
Because of the lengthy interruptions and two safety car periods, the scheduled 17-lap race became timed, with the clock counting down to 39 seconds before a final one-lap shootout after the safety car returned to the pits. In the closing stages, Ferreira received a five-second penalty for a false start, adding one final twist to a dramatic and chaotic Race 2 in Canada.
Following the post-race penalties in Race 2 of the 2026 Canadian round of F1 Academy, the original top ten classification changed significantly. Originally, Mathilda Paatz won the reverse-grid race ahead of Alba Larsen and Kaylee Countryman. However, post-race steward decisions reshuffled the results after multiple penalties were applied.
Larsen was demoted from second place to 11th after receiving penalties related to on-track incidents, while Ella Lloyd dropped from seventh to 13th. Fisher also lost a position, moving from 13th to 14th. As a result, Countryman was promoted to second place, with Payton Westcott moving onto the podium in third.
Top Ten
- Mathilda Paatz
- Kaylee Countryman
- Payton Westcott
- Natalia Granada
- Lisa Billard
- Emma Felbermayr
- Megan Bruce
- Rafaela Ferreira
- Esmee Kosterman
- Alisha Palmowoski
Race Three
Wet and slippery conditions made the Feature Race in Montréal one of the most chaotic races of the 2026 F1 Academy season. Despite these setbacks, Alisha Palmowski mastered the conditions and managed to complete a dominant weekend sweep. The Campos Racing driver made another strong launch from pole position and immediately controlled the race from the front, despite suffering late power issues on the final lap.
Behind her, the opening laps were packed with incidents and position changes. Ella Lloyd made one of the strongest starts in the field by gaining six places within the first two laps, while Chloe Stevens stalled when the lights went out and dropped down the order. Lisa Billard also ran into trouble on the opening lap after being spun around by Lloyd in the slippery conditions, while Autumn Fisher appeared to hit debris during the early stages of the race.
As the race settled down, several midfield battles developed as drivers struggled for grip around the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Nina Gademan ran wide on Lap 5 after braking too late while fighting Alba Larsen for sixth place, while Palmowski continued to extend her advantage at the front. One lap later, Gademan and Larsen resumed their fight, but Larsen was forced to cut the corner and dropped three positions to ninth as a result.
The midfield battles remained intense throughout the race as Lloyd, Ferreira and Larsen fought closely for seventh place. Lloyd later cut a corner herself on Lap 7 and lost a position to Natalia Granada, while Ferreira and Lloyd continued battling through the middle phase of the race as the wet conditions kept the field tightly packed together.
Further ahead, Larsen eventually overtook Gademan for sixth place through Turns 1 and 2 on Lap 11, while Emma Felbermayr recovered strongly through the field after earlier struggles. On Lap 14, Felbermayr overtook Payton Westcott for third place after Westcott ran wide across the corner. Esmee Kosterman also received a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
The closing laps brought even more drama as Felbermayr overtook for second place on the final lap, while Palmowski began suffering power problems. Despite the late scare, Palmowski still crossed the line more than ten seconds clear of the field to secure another commanding victory and complete a dominant weekend in Montreal.
Top Ten
- Alisha Palmowski
- Emma Felbermayr
- Megan Bruce
- Payton Westcott
- Mathilda Paatz
- Alba Larson
- Nina Gademan
- Natalia Garnada
- Ella Lloyd
- Rafaela Ferreria
Feature Image Credit: F1 Academy
Edited by Reo Lane.
About The Author
Leave a Reply