Alisha Palmowski secured the first of three possible victories as F1 Academy returned to Texas for the penultimate round of the Championship.
The British driver overcame early drama, navigating the field, to seal a crucial victory in her championship campaign. Closely behind her were Nina Gademan and Alba Larsen, the pair sharing an intense battle for the final podium places in the opening race of the weekend.
Heading into the race, Palmowski and Payton Westcott led the field from the front row, with Nina Gademan and Lisa Billard just a row back, in third and fourth, aiming to challenge for the lead as the drivers headed up to Turn 1.
Race start, and early chaos
As the lights went out, Westcott immediately took the lead. However, a poor exit from Turn 1 left the Mercedes driver under immediate pressure from the championship leader. Palmowski regained her lead as the field headed down to Turn 9.
Triumph for the Red Bull-backed driver was disappointment for Westcott. Shortly after the move, a snap of oversteer from Westcott saw her tumble down the order to eighth, promoting Gademan and Alba Larsen into the podium positions.
Further down the field, Rachel Robertson and Rafaela Ferreira made contact on the opening lap, leaving Robertson stranded on the circuit and prompting the deployment of the Safety Car.
At the restart, Palmowski brought the field back to green-flag racing and maintained her lead. Behind her, a battle for the remaining podium positions quickly unfolded as Gademan came under immediate pressure from Larsen, who had made a stronger getaway. The Ferrari-backed driver ultimately made her way into second place, although Gademan claimed she had been overtaken off the track.
Meanwhile, Emma Felbermayr continued to keep her championship hopes alive with an impressive charge through the field. The Austrian, who remained in contention for the title alongside Palmowski, had gained six positions within the opening five laps, putting herself in a strong position to challenge further up the order.
Back at the front, an intense battle for the lead began to develop. Palmowski and Larsen remained within five tenths of each other for several laps, with the Red Bull-backed driver forced to defend against the pursuing Ferrari as Larsen continued to search for a way past.
Last laps and bold moves
With just four laps remaining in the opening race, the battle for the lead continued to intensify, with track limits also becoming the focus as the drivers fought to gain an advantage.
Further down the field, contact between Ava Dobson and Ella Lloyd saw Dobson forced to retire, while Lloyd dropped to 14th. The incident opened the door for Megan Bruce and Kaylee Countryman to execute a double overtake, gaining positions as the field shuffled behind them.
The incident brought out the Safety Car with just three laps remaining in the race.
Meanwhile, Larsen was instructed to hand the position back to Gademan after their earlier battle, order to avoid a race penalty, which would have dropped her out of the points-paying positions.
Palmowski sailed away to victory as Gademan reclaimed second place ahead of Larsen in third. However, the battle between the two teammates continued until the chequered flag, with neither driver willing to back down. As the chequered flag waved, the PREMA duo remained in their positions to secure their third consecutive podiums of the season.
Further back, Felbermayr applied pressure to Lisa Billard in the fight for fourth. However, the Audi-backed driver held firm to secure fifth place, leaving her championship rival with one hand firmly on the 2026 F1 Academy title.
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