Alisha Palmowski kicks off F1 Academy season by topping Shanghai practice session

Alisha Palmowski set the pace in the opening practice session of the 2026 F1 Academy season at the Shanghai, leading by around half a second over Alba Larsen and Payton Westcott as the championship kicks off its fourth year.

Photo credits: Laurie Southern

The fourth season of the F1 Academy officially got underway at the Shanghai International Circuit, in the championship’s second visit to the Chinese venue and the beginning of a new campaign featuring a refreshed grid, new rivalries, and the search for a successor to reigning champion Doriane Pin.

While several drivers have moved on after completing their two-year stints in the Formula 1-promoted all-female series, the 2026 field blends some returning contenders and an impressive rookie class mainly arriving from mixed-gender Formula 4 championships, as well as single seater rookies. Despite the changes, the determination across the grid remains unchanged as drivers aim to maximise their opportunity on the highly visible platform.

Among the early favourites is Alisha Palmowski, who claimed victory on debut last season and enters her second campaign as one of the drivers to watch. However, strong returning competitors including Ella Lloyd, Alba Larsen, Nina Gademan and Emma Felbermayr - alongside a talented rookie intake - are expected to provide fierce competition from the outset.

The weekend’s first and only practice session followed a collective pre-season test held at Shanghai a few weeks ago, meaning drivers now had 40 minutes to finalise car setup ahead of qualifying later the same day. All drivers therefore headed out immediately to maximise running time.

Among them was wildcard entrant Shi Wei, returning to the championship after making her debut appearance last year. The Chinese driver has since competed part-time in F4 China, where she secured victory in a non-championship race, and rejoined the grid with Hitech for her home event.

After initial installation laps, the entire field briefly returned to the pits for adjustments before Shi Wei recorded the first timed lap time of the 2026 season.

One of last year’s highlight rookies, Alba Larsen - now occupying the Ferrari-supported seat at MP Motorsport - quickly emerged at the top of the timesheets. Around ten minutes into the session, she posted a 2:07.1 before improving to a 2:06.5 as drivers battled a green and dusty circuit surface.

Larsen continued lowering the benchmark and became the first driver to break into the 2:05s with a 2:05.5 lap, narrowly ahead of Rachel Robertson as lap times steadily improved across the field.

Payton Westcott soon moved into second place while Emma Felbermayr also showed strong pace, climbing into fourth. The Austrian then produced purple times in the opening two sectors to briefly claim top spot with a 2:05.494, only for Westcott to immediately respond with a 2:05.319.

The battle at the front intensified as Larsen found another tenth to reclaim P1, with rapid track evolution as grip levels increased. Several drivers began to break into the top ten during their first push laps. Highly rated karting graduate Ella Stevens was among them, briefly running sixth as she aims to impress during her first single-seater season, continuing the pathway of drivers mentored by Alice Powell.

Nina Gademan, Mathilda Paatz and Megan Bruce all entered the top ten, joined by Lisa Billard, who had already demonstrated strong pace during a wildcard appearance in Singapore last season.

Palmowski, meanwhile, was among the final drivers to complete a representative push lap but immediately made an impact, setting the fastest third sector to jump to second place with a 2:05.284. With 15 minutes remaining, the top four drivers were separated by just one tenth of a second.

On her next attempt, Palmowski lowered the benchmark: improving in every sector, the Red Bull-supported driver became the first competitor to break the 2:05 barrier, posting a 2:04.699, half a second clear of Larsen and Lloyd.

Billard ran slightly wide at Turn 1 but maintained control to avoid going off, while Bruce produced a solid improvement in the TAG Heuer-liveried Campos Racing car to move into sixth with a 2:05.3, less than a tenth behind Lloyd, who was battling her rear tyres.

Palmowski continued to refine her fastest lap, improving again in sectors one and three to record a 2:04.550 before returning to the pits satisfied with her performance with two minutes remaining.

In the closing stages, Rafaela Ferreira surged into second with an impressive 2:05.176 lap, only to be displaced moments later by Larsen. Westcott also improved to a 2:05.041, securing third place just three hundredths behind the Dane.

The session’s only yellow flag came when Shi Wei spun at Turn 1, rejoining soon after.

When the chequered flag fell, Palmowski ended the first practice session of the 2026 season comfortably fastest, holding a half-second advantage over Larsen and Westcott, with Ferreira completing a strong top four.

A late improvement elevated Billard to fifth ahead of Paatz, both overtaking Lloyd during the final runs. Felbermayr finished eighth fastest, followed by Bruce - who locked the rear at the hairpin on her final lap and was therefore unable to improve - while Gademan rounded out the top ten.

Natalia Granada placed eleventh in her first-ever single-seater event, ahead of Robertson in P12. Stevens, Kaylee Countryman and Ava Dobson followed, with Jade Jacquet classified 16th for Williams and Esmee Kosterman 17th. Shi Wei completed the order in 18th, the first driver two seconds adrift of the session-leading pace.

All drivers completed more than ten timed laps during an uninterrupted sole practice session, before now turning their focus to data analysis ahead of qualifying scheduled for 14:10 local time, where the first pole position of the 2026 F1 Academy season will be decided.