Alisha Palmowski took a commanding victory during the F1 Academy Feature Race around Silverstone, with Chiara Battig and Emma Felbermayr completing the podium for the British GP weekend.
The grid was led by Wild Card entry Battig, who made history on Friday by securing pole position. Alongside the Swiss driver was Championship Leader Palmowski, looking for her third race victory in the series.
Despite a new circuit to F1 Academy, Palmowski has an experience advantage over her closest rivals, who were all rookies.
As the lights went out for the race start, it was a brilliant start from Alisha Palmowski, who immediately secured the lead of the race, as Battig settled for second place. Meanwhile, it was a disaster for third-place starter Lisa Billard, as the Gatorade-powered driver stalled on the grid. The French driver was demoted to eighteenth and last at the end of the opening lap.
Further down the grid, battles were unfolding throughout the field, with Rachel Robertson and Emma Felbermayr challenging for fourth place. The Audi-backed driver used her experience to attack her rookie rival, sailing past before a Safety Car was brought out.
Early race contact between Rafaela Ferreria and Ella Stevens brought out the Safety Car. The Racing Bulls-backed driver drifted too close to Stevens, causing her to spin around, with Ferreria also gaining damage. The Brazilian continued racing momentarily until she pitted to retire the car.
One of the big movers in the opening lap was McLaren’s Ella Lloyd. The Briton climbed from eighth to the final podium place in just one lap. With an experience deficit to Battig in second, Lloyd could see herself challenging Palmowski for the win when the Safety Car pits.
Safety Car restart
The Safety Car peeled into the pit lane at the end of Lap 4, leaving Palmowski in charge of the field. At the restart, all drivers kept their places. Crucially, both Palmowski and Battig had opened a gap between themselves and their rivals behind.
Felbermayr and Lloyd were locked in an intense battle from the race restart. The pair were racing side by side throughout the early stages of the lap, as McLaren’s Lloyd defended intensely against her rival. But on the run down to Abbey, the 19-year-old made her way past Lloyd. This battle invited yesterday’s podium sitter, Nina Gademan, into the battle for fourth. The Alpine Academy driver capitalised on the Briton’s loss of pace, sailing into fourth.
Alba Larsen had a moment on Lap 7, which saw her draw in her rivals for a mid-race battle. Importantly, the Ferrari junior was able to keep her less experienced rivals behind her as Larsen chased down the final points place. As she rejoined the circuit, Larsen and Megan Bruce were fighting for tenth, as the TAG Heuer driver made contact with the back of the MP Motorsport car. Both drivers were able to continue in the race; however, Bruce sustained damage to her front nose cone.
The drivers began to settle into the race, with no major moves being made. At the front of the field, the top two had drifted away with a five-second gap to their closest rivals. Battig remained in DRS of her rival Palmowski from the race restart, applying significant pressure to the championship leader.
Palmowski is victorious again in F1 Academy
Further back in the field, Esmee Kostermann was handed a five-second time penalty for a Safety Car infringement. The LEGO-sponsored driver was subsequently demoted to 15th place in the final classification.
While the rest of the field settled into position, the battle for the final podium spot remained alive. Felbermayr was forced onto the defensive as Gademan closed in, searching for back-to-back podium finishes.
At the chequered flag, Palmowski claimed yet another victory. The Briton extended her Championship lead, seemingly looking untouchable in 2026. Chiara Battig etched her name into the history books once more this weekend by becoming the first wildcard entry to secure an F1 Academy podium. Felbermayr held firm under immense pressure to complete the podium in third, denying Gademan a place in the top three.
READ MORE: F1 Academy 2026 British GP – Feature Race Results
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