Alisha Palmowski dominated the F1 Academy's opening race in Montreal, leading a 1-2 finish for Campos Racing. Teammate Megan Bruce and Aston Martin's Mathilda Paatz completed the podium.
Alisha Palmowski made a strong statement in Montreal by clinching her first win of the 2026 F1 Academy season. From pole position, the Campos Racing driver executed a flawless start and never looked back, finishing a significant 10.1 seconds ahead of her teammate Megan Bruce. This marks the largest winning margin in the series' history, setting a high bar for the season.
Bruce, in her own right, had a noteworthy race by holding off Mercedes' Payton Westcott and securing her first podium finish. Meanwhile, Mathilda Paatz took advantage of a mistake by her Aston Martin teammate to finish third.
Among the rest of the pack, Rafaela Ferreira finished fourth, just ahead of Alba Larsen. McLaren's Ella Lloyd put on a show, climbing ten places to finish sixth after starting 16th. Kaylee Countryman and Ella Stevens, both rookies, scored their first points by finishing seventh and eighth, respectively.
Nina Gademan initially crossed the line in sixth, but her joy was short-lived as a five-second penalty for rejoining improperly at Turn 13 demoted her to ninth. Audi's Emma Felbermayr had a tough race, stalling at the start but managing to claw back to claim the final point in tenth.
Looking ahead, Kaylee Countryman will have the pole position for the Reverse Grid Race later today, promising more action as the lights go out at 18:05 local time. For those eager for more details, the full race report is available on the F1 Academy's official website.