Palmowski becomes F1 Academy champion

British driver Alisha Palmowski has become the 2026 F1 Academy champion. Palmowski secured the title with three rounds still to run after a run of strong results at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. The driver won Friday's opening race and finished second in the reverse grid race, extending her lead over closest rival Emma Felbermayr to 70 points. Since Felbermayr can score at most 67 points from the remaining races, the championship is mathematically decided.

The Red Bull-backed driver has won five of the 11 races this season and taken six pole positions. She is the second British champion after Abbi Pulling in 2024. At 20 years old, Palmowski is also the youngest champion in F1 Academy history.

Palmowski said her success came thanks to her team and her family. She thanked Campos Racing and Red Bull Racing, and noted that her engineer Diego works with her every day. She also said her family has supported her in Austin.

The driver first attracted attention by winning her first race in the 2025 season. She added four more podium finishes that year. Having finished second in the 2024 GB4 Championship, she has received Red Bull's backing since last year. Reflecting on the past year and a half, Palmowski said she has grown a great deal both as a driver and personally, and called the achievement a dream.