FWS: Chiara Bättig and Mathilda Paatz storm to podium in wet race 3, Palmowski secures race 2 pole in Estoril
- RACERS
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The 2026 Formula Winter Series season kicked off at Estoril with a weather-affected opening round where five women battled at the front of the field, producing a double female podium with Red Bull Junior Chiara Bättig finishing second and Mathilda Paatz securing third, as Alisha Palmowski also led the female entries in race 1 and 2, after starting from pole position.
The 2026 Formula Winter Series season kicked off at Estoril, Portugal, with a spectacular and weather-affected opening round that once again continued the championship’s reputation as a proving ground for young female single-seater talent. Five women lined up on the grid for the first event of the year, and by Sunday afternoon the weekend had already delivered a historic milestone: a dramatic Race 3 that produced a double female podium, with Red Bull Junior Chiara Bättig finishing second and Mathilda Paatz securing third after an extraordinary wet-weather charge.
The female entries included F1 Academy race winner and Red Bull Academy member Alisha Palmowski, who returned to the series for a second year as part of her single-seater preparation programme, alongside her teammate Rafaela Ferreira, fresh from further success in Brazilian F4. Highly anticipated Swiss prospect Chiara Bättig made her European debut after graduating from F4 Saudi Arabia, while Germany’s Mathilda Paatz returned with her own Mathilda Racing outfit ahead of her upcoming F1 Academy campaign. Italy’s Ginevra Panzeri completed the quintet, back for extended mileage after part-time programmes in Formula Winter Series and E4 last season.
From the opening laps of testing, the women made their presence felt. Palmowski immediately placed herself among the front-runners by going second fastest in practice, while Bättig also featured comfortably inside the top ten, showing competitive pace before the weekend’s first competitive running.
Saturday morning’s first qualifying session unfolded in treacherous wet conditions and was quickly interrupted by a red flag after Rafaela Ferreira went off, costing her the chance to bank a representative lap. When running resumed, only a handful of drivers managed to set meaningful times before another stoppage brought the session to a premature end.
Palmowski briefly climbed to second before improving again to a 2:01.8, ultimately securing third on the grid behind pole-sitter Dries van Langendonck and Alfie Slater. It was a strong run given the circumstances, and crucially her second-fastest lap of the session later earned her pole position for Race 2.
Further back, Panzeri delivered one of her strongest qualifying performances to date by taking 14th, her best F4 grid position. Paatz was classified 20th, while both Bättig and Ferreira were left without a time after the red flags and would be forced to start from the rear.
Qualifying 2 was equally disrupted. Palmowski topped the early running before times tumbled under the two-minute mark, and after another red flag - this time for Bättig - she improved to a 1:59.446 on her final run, ending 11th in a tightly packed field. Panzeri again impressed with a 2:01.361 for 25th, just ahead of Ferreira. Paatz placed 27th, while Bättig was again unable to record a lap.
Race 1 began behind the safety car as rain intensified, and after a brief attempt to go green, worsening conditions forced a red flag. The field eventually restarted under safety car once more before racing finally got underway.
Van Langendonck led the opening laps from Slater and Palmowski, but the race was quickly neutralised again after multiple incidents at Turn 2. Just before the caution, Arn slipped past Palmowski for third, dropping the F1 Academy driver to fourth.
Behind them, Panzeri produced a superb opening sequence, making her way through the chaos to climb into ninth, while Bättig avoided trouble to vault from the back up to 16th. Ferreira and Paatz also survived the opening lap turmoil, running 21st and 23rd respectively.
With conditions too dangerous to resume, the race finished under safety car. Panzeri’s ninth place marked her first Formula Winter Series top-ten finish and a career-best result, while Bättig’s 16th represented a strong recovery drive from the rear in her European debut.
Race 2 offered a major opportunity for Palmowski, who lined up on pole with a chance to become the first female winner in Formula Winter Series history. Once again, the track was wet and treacherous.
A difficult launch saw Palmowski hold the lead into Turn 1 but run deep, allowing both Rocco Coronel and van Langendonck through. Ruta and later Thomas Bearman also found a way past as Palmowski struggled for grip in the early laps. Despite the setbacks, she battled back into contention following incidents ahead, recovering to sixth as the race settled.
Further back, Bättig fought her way forward in the difficult conditions, slipping initially but then regaining ground, while Ferreira began to find rhythm in the second half of the race, picking off multiple cars. Panzeri and Paatz ran nose-to-tail for long spells, trading places and eventually moving forward.
A late safety car bunched the field, and although Palmowski pushed hard on the restart, she was edged out of the top ten on the final lap. Bättig crossed the line 17th after another gritty drive, Ferreira advanced to 21st, and Paatz beat Panzeri to the flag in 24th and 25th respectively, both setting their personal best laps on the final tour.
Sunday afternoon’s finale began under ominous skies, and although the grid formed on slicks, rain began to fall on the formation lap. Bättig would be starting from the pit lane and opted for wet tyres - a gamble that would transform her race.
Chaos erupted immediately as multiple cars spun at Turns 1 and 2, with Panzeri unfortunately caught in an incident that eliminated also several cars. The safety car was therefore deployed, and many drivers dived into the pits to change tyres. Paatz was among those who switched to wets early, while Palmowski stayed out and completed the opening lap seventh.
When racing resumed, the rain intensified dramatically. Bättig, already on wets, surged forward, slicing through the field and reaching fifth within a single green-flag lap. Paatz was also charging, passing cars left and right, while Bansal emerged at the head of the field ahead of Savinkov and Bättig as the track turned into a deluge.
Bättig soon established herself as the fastest of the leading trio, waiting for her moment as Savinkov and Bansal fought over the lead. Paatz, meanwhile, climbed to fourth after passing Orsini and began closing on the podium fight.
With four minutes remaining, Bättig made a decisive move, overtaking Bansal to climb into second. One lap later, Paatz followed her through to grab third. Bättig then set about hunting down Savinkov, running up to eight-tenths quicker, but time ran out before she could mount a final attack.
Savinkov took the flag to win a thrilling wet-weather contest, but the spotlight fell on Chiara Bättig and Mathilda Paatz, who secured a remarkable overall podium - only the second in Formula Winter Series history for a female driver after Tina Hausmann in 2023. Alisha Palmowski, after damaging her front wing in contact, salvaged 15th, while Ferreira finished 19th after another solid recovery.
The Estoril opener ended with Bättig sixth, Paatz ninth and Palmowski tenth in the championship standings, while Panzeri also left Portugal with points after her highlight Race 1 performance.
With five female drivers featuring prominently throughout a chaotic and highly competitive weekend - and a historic podium to show for it - the Formula Winter Series will now head to Portimão on 5–8 February, where the Algarve circuit will host the second round of the 2026 season.
