Britain's Alisha Palmowski became the 2026 F1 Academy champion with three races remaining after a dominant performance at the Circuit of the Americas. Palmowski secured the title with a second-place finish in the Reverse Grid Race, building a 70-point lead over Emma Felbermayr. The Red Bull-backed driver has won five of 11 races this season and claimed six pole positions.
At just 20 years old, Palmowski is the youngest champion in F1 Academy history, following in the footsteps of Abbi Pulling. She praised her team, Campos Racing, and her family during the celebration. Palmowski credited her development to 18 months with the Red Bull program.
She aims to progress further up the single-seater ladder, noting that motorsport is a results-based business. Previous champions have moved into endurance racing and Formula Regional. Palmowski starts on pole for the Sunday main race in Austin.
She remains focused on her management team's guidance for her future career path.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing