Alisha Palmowski took the first win of the F1 Academy race weekend at the Canadian GP in Montreal, followed by Megan Bruce and Mathilda Paatz.
What happened so far this weekend?
Alisha Palmowski dominated Qualifying at the Canadian GP to secure pole for both the Opening Race and Feature Race.
The Red Bull Racing driver topped every stage of the session and finished almost four tenths clear with a 1:38.466.
Rookies Payton Westcott and Megan Bruce impressed on debut at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve by completing the top three.
Westcott secured her first Feature Race front row start, while Campos Racing locked out the Opening Race front row through Palmowski and Bruce’s second-fastest laps.
How the race unfolded
Emma Felbermayr endured a difficult start after struggling to launch from the grid, while Ava Dobson dropped to the back after locking up on cold tyres and taking to the escape road.
At the front, Alisha Palmowski made a strong getaway and controlled the early stages of the 17-lap race. The Red Bull Racing driver also set the fastest lap on Lap 3 with a 1:40.834.
The opening laps remained relatively calm, although several midfield battles developed behind the leader.
Felbermayr recovered well from her poor start and climbed to 13th by Lap 4.
Lisa Billard suffered front wing damage in a battle and pitted for repairs, while McLaren Academy drivers Ella Lloyd and Ella Stevens fought over ninth place, with Lloyd coming out ahead.
Contact between Esmee Kostermann and Dobson later left Kostermann with a rear-left puncture, forcing her into the pits on Lap 6.
Halfway point
By the halfway stage, the field had settled into a steady rhythm as gaps began to form throughout the order.
Westcott, who had been running third, received a five-second penalty before slipping to sixth after briefly running onto the grass. Esmee Kostermann also picked up a penalty during the race.
A battle for seventh unfolded on Lap 10 between Kaylee Countryman and Nina Gademan, with Gademan coming out on top.
Ahead, Mathilda Paatz moved into podium contention behind Megan Bruce after Westcott’s mistake dropped her down the order.
Out front, Palmowski remained untouchable and stretched her advantage to almost eight seconds by Lap 11.
Westcott’s race then ended on Lap 13 after she retired with significant damage.
The race stayed remarkably clean throughout, with no Safety Car interruptions.
Palmowski also avoided damage after running over a piece of carbon fibre near the final corner before comfortably taking victory by 10 seconds over Bruce.
READ MORE – F1 Academy 2026 Canadian GP – Opening Race Results
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