With six returning drivers, the grid was looking very fresh this afternoon. However the opening Qualifying session of the 2026 Formula 1 Academy season in China showed us what a seasoned driver can do. Alisha Palmowski topped the stats with ease whilst Ella Lloyd struggled to get back into the swing of things.
Although the sun was shining, it was a chilly six degrees today.
P1 Ping-Pong
Purple sectors flew all around, but one name kept everyone at bay throughout the session. Paatz delivered the first competitive timing, settling herself for what she thought was a comfortable 2:05.592. Felbermayr beat her time within seconds but Palmowski refused to give anyone respite today.
Amongst the drivers climbing their way towards the top half of the leader board, Lisa Billard sat third, ahead of Gademan, Ferreira and Lloyd. Ella Lloyd’s struggle from her earlier practice session continued on throughout Qualifying.
Alba Larsen set herself up for what she thought would be the pole position with a 2:04.651 timing.
A Bull in the Rear View
A quick change of tyres and the cars were back onto the track. However for one driver, they did not last too long out there. Kaylee Countryman who drives for Haas, had some mechanical failures. Her brief stop was enough to call a red flag with 10 minutes left on the clock.
The fight for the pole position continued and Palmowski is the first to lay down her cards, just 14 milliseconds ahead of Larsen. The timesheet started lighting up yet again with all drivers on fresh tyres and the track getting grippier with more rubber laid down.
Soon enough, Alisha Palmowski beat her own previous time with a 2:04.182 and secured herself the pole position. The fight shifted from trying to secure P1 to settling for P2.
Further back, returning driver Nina Gademan was having a fight with PREMA Racing rookie Natalia Granada. For the first race of the year, Gademan will start on the reverse-grid pole, ahead of Granada in seventh, with both drivers separated by only three milliseconds.
A Pole Position Well Deserved
Alisha Palmowski, in her second season of F1 Academy, secured herself a maiden pole position. It seems 2026 may be the year for new champions.
“It feels long overdue” said Alisha Palmowski, Red Bull Racing driver