Britain's Alisha Palmowski has secured the 2026 F1 Academy championship with three races still to run after establishing a commanding advantage at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin.
Palmowski claimed victory in Friday's Opening Race before finishing second in the Reverse Grid Race behind Alba Larsen, extending her lead over nearest rival Emme Felbermayr to 70 points with a maximum of 67 points still available. According to Sky Sports, the Red Bull-backed driver has dominated the campaign by winning five of the 11 races contested so far and securing six pole positions.
The 20-year-old becomes the second British driver to claim the F1 Academy title after Abbi Pulling's success in 2024, and stands as the youngest champion in the series' history. The official F1 Academy standings show Palmowski on 161 points following her performances in Austin, with Felbermayr trailing on 98 points.
Palmowski's achievement comes in her second full season in the category. She made her F1 Academy debut as a Wild Card entry at Lusail, qualifying sixth and fourth before finishing fifth in the opening race. Her official driver profile confirms that in 2025 she won the Shanghai season opener and finished fifth in the overall standings, taking four additional podium finishes.
The Red Bull junior has been supported by the energy drink brand since the start of 2025 after finishing as runners-up in the 2024 GB4 Championship.
Speaking immediately after securing the title, Palmowski struggled to contain her emotion.
We did it guys! It's incredible. I don't know what to say. I'm trying not to cry!
She went on to praise the collective effort behind her success.
There's so much hard work gone on behind the scenes, not just from myself, but all the people you won't see. They have lived it day and night.
Palmowski highlighted the contribution of her engineer and the two teams supporting her campaign.
We have worked so hard as a team, Campos Racing and Red Bull Racing. We have left no stone unturned. I don't want to name names but my engineer Diego has lived this with me every day and night.
The champion reflected on her development since joining Red Bull's driver academy.
I've learned so much in the last 18 months to two years being with Red Bull. I learned about things I didn't know. I've developed so much, not only as a driver but a person as well. I've matured so much in the last 12 months. It's a dream come true.
What next for Palmowski?
Previous F1 Academy champions including Marta Garcia, Pulling and Doriane Pin have progressed to compete in other single-seater categories and endurance racing programmes. Palmowski is scheduled to start from pole position for Sunday's main race in Austin at 5pm, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
When asked about her future plans, Palmowski indicated that discussions are already underway regarding her next career move.
There are conversations happening in the background but I'm leaving that to my management team. I want to go as far up the single-seater ladder as possible but I'm aware motorsport is a results-based business.
She emphasised her commitment to competing on equal terms with her rivals regardless of gender.
I'm a big believer that when you go in a car, the helmet goes on, the car doesn't have a gender and we are fighting for the same thing.
The 2026 F1 Academy season is scheduled to conclude with its final round in Las Vegas from November 19 to 21, meaning Palmowski will have the opportunity to add to her championship tally before the campaign concludes.
