Practice-
Alisha Palmowski started the 2026 F1 Academy season in style as she confidently set the pace in the sole Free Practice session around the Shanghai International Circuit.
Despite having the lowest lap count on the board, the Red Bull Racing driver sealed the top spot with a time of 2:04.550 to eke out an advantage of 0.467s over Alba Larsen.
Rookie Peyton Westcott completed the top three for Mercedes, only 0.024s off the Ferrari junior.
Amid a gradual start to the 40 minute session, it came down to Ferrari’s Larsen to kick off the action as she set one of the first flying laps with a 2:07.132.
With just one practice on offer in Shanghai, both experienced and rookie drivers – with 11 making their full time debut in the series – had limited running to learn the track ahead of qualifying.
The Danish driver quickly bettered her own effort, becoming one of the few to brave the dusty conditions while PUMA driver Rachel Robertson found herself just over two tenths adrift of the lead.
Larsen’s hold on P1 didn’t last long as Robertson then went half a second faster to break into the 2:05s, with Nina Gademan sat in third place at the halfway point.
As the traffic increased, the gaps began to narrow, with Emma Felbermayr the next to set the fastest lap of the session before Mercedes’ Westcott immediately shot into first on a 2:05.319.
McLaren driver Ella Lloyd entered the contest, taking P2 before she was demoted by fellow second-year racer Palmowski, with the top four covered by just 0.071s.
Palmowski went five tenths clear on her next attempt and set a benchmark of 2:04.699, which she then improved on in the final minutes to end with a rapid time of 2:04.550.
Elsewhere, the drivers continued to explore the limits with Shi Wei triggering a brief Yellow Flag appearance after spinning at Turn 1 before being able to rejoin.
Palmowski’s Campos Racing teammate Rafaela Ferreira was fourth behind Larsen and Westcott, with Lisa Billard settling in as the second quickest rookie in P5.
Qualifying-
Alisha Palmowski conquered qualifying in Shanghai to claim her long-awaited maiden pole position, starting her second year in the series on a high.
After coming close to pole on numerous occasions last season, the Red Bull Racing driver was untouchable as she continued to better her own efforts, finishing with a rapid time of 2:04.182.
Ferrari’s Alba Larsen settled for second place, making her first front row start in F1 Academy, with fellow sophomore driver Emma Felbermayr lining up in third.
Following a short delay to the start, the drivers were keen to hit the track and build temperature in their tyres as they adapted to the changed grip levels.
Aston Martin’s Mathilda Paatz jumped to the top of the timings early on, with her teammate Payton Westcott – tucking in just behind her.
However, the rookies’ times were quickly eclipsed by Palmowski and Felbermayr as the Audi driver set the pace with a time of 2:05.362.
Palmowski’s next effort showed that there were plenty of improvements still to come as she took P1 before Larsen leapt from fifth to first, building a buffer of over two tenths to the Briton.
At the halfway mark, the Ferrari driver was firmly on provisional pole while all of the drivers returned to the pits to bolt on a set of fresh tyres, preparing for more runs. But before anyone could find a major improvement, the Red flags were waved as Haas’ Kaylee Countryman slowed to a halt.
She soon got going again and joined her competitors in the pitlane, but the temporary disruption meant that everyone had to complete another out lap with less than 10 minutes to go, adding another element of pressure to the proceedings.
Palmowski was the first to set her eyes on pole position and despite a small mistake, she drove the fastest lap of the session so far, albeit by less than a tenth to Larsen.
Westcott, meanwhile demonstrated that her pace in Practice wasn’t a fluke as she began to challenge for the top spot.
The Mercedes driver couldn’t improve in Sectors 2 and 3 and remained in third place, but it was a different story for Palmowski as she extended her advantage to four tenths over Larsen.
Her lap proved to be impossible to beat in the final seconds and she held onto pole ahead of Larsen and Felbermayr, who improved late on to demote Rafaela Ferreira to fourth.
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