Alisha Palmowski Claims F1 Academy Championship Title

Alisha Palmowski of Great Britain described clinching the F1 Academy title as “a dream come true.”

At age 20, she secured second place in Saturday’s reverse grid event at Circuit of the Americas, a result that crowned her champion prior to Sunday’s feature race and the season’s final round in Las Vegas in November.

Palmowski is now the youngest champion in the all‑female development series and the second British driver to claim the title, following Abbi Pulling’s 2024 victory.

She competes for Campos Racing and is a member of the Red Bull Driver Academy.

Hailing from Glossop, Palmowski captured five of the 11 races this season and amassed points in every event except a single reverse‑grid outing at Zandvoort, where she failed to score.

During an emotional post‑race interview, she dedicated her championship to her ill grandmother and expressed gratitude to her family.

“It’s been a truly special journey. I began racing when I was eight or nine, starting out with just my parents,” she said.

“The sacrifices they’ve made behind the scenes have truly put their lives on hold to let me pursue my dream,” she added.

Heading into Saturday’s race, Austrian Emma Felbermayr was the sole driver with a mathematical chance to overtake Palmowski, but a fourth‑place finish proved insufficient to keep her championship hopes alive.

Denmark’s Alba Larsen crossed the finish line first for her debut F1 Academy win, while 17‑year‑old French driver Lisa Billard completed the podium in third place.

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