The third and final F1 Academy race of the weekend in Canada delivered another dramatic chapter in an already unpredictable 2026 season, but this time there was no doubt about the winner. Starting from pole position, Palmowski mastered the wet conditions from lights out to chequered flag. She secured the largest winning margin in the history of the series and strengthened her grip on the championship lead. Coming into the fifth race of the campaign, the category had produced four different winners from four races. On a soaked circuit in Canada, however, Palmowski finally broke that trend.
Palmowski Controls the Start as Spray Causes Chaos
Heavy spray immediately greeted the drivers at the start, making visibility poor and overtaking especially difficult. Palmowski launched cleanly from pole while Felbermayr attempted an ambitious move around the outside into the opening corners. Bruce fought back hard, with Paatz quickly joining the battle behind them.
Despite the treacherous conditions, the field negotiated the opening lap without any spins or retirements. Westcott emerged in second after moving ahead of Bruce, while Palmowski cleverly aided her team-mate with a slipstream effect down the straights. Further back, Gademan gained two positions to climb into seventh, while Lloyd made one of the strongest starts in the field, gaining five places on the opening lap alone.
By lap two, Palmowski had already stretched her advantage to 1.4 seconds. Bruce held second ahead of Westcott, with Felbermayr and yesterday’s race winner Paatz completing the top five, all separated by less than four seconds.
Midfield Battles Intensify in Slippery Conditions
The race’s first incident came after contact between Lloyd and Billard at Turn 2. Billard dropped to the back of the field following the collision, though stewards later decided no further action was necessary. Fisher, meanwhile, bounced aggressively over the kerbs in an attempt to gain positions on the inside line.
Palmowski quickly established herself as the fastest driver on track, setting the early benchmark with a 1:50.204. Behind the leading quartet, Gademan and Larsen closed onto Paatz as the midfield battle intensified.
Lloyd continued her recovery drive on lap four, overtaking both Jacquet and Granada to move into ninth. Gademan then produced one of the boldest moments of the race with a late-braking attempt that forced her across the run-off area, though she managed to retain seventh place.
By lap six, Gademan’s pressure finally paid off as she swept around the outside of Larsen to claim sixth. The fight behind became increasingly frantic. Lloyd briefly passed Ferreira for seventh before Ferreira immediately reclaimed the place, allowing Larsen through as well. Lloyd then slipped back further after running wide later in the lap.
At the front, Palmowski steadily disappeared into the distance. By lap seven, her lead had grown to 5.5 seconds over Bruce, with Westcott still holding third. Further back, Fisher remained at the rear of the field, more than half a minute behind the race leader.
Larsen and Felbermayr Charge Forward
Several intense midfield battles followed. Granada came under increasing pressure from Ferreira, while Lloyd attempted a daring move around the outside of both drivers into Turn 3 on lap nine, though the overtake could not be completed. Countryman also received a black-and-white warning flag for repeated track limits infringements.
Larsen’s charge resumed on lap 11 when she closed to within three tenths of Gademan before overtaking her MP Motorsport team-mate through Turns 1 and 2 to take sixth position.
As the circuit slowly began to dry, the conditions remained punishing. Ferreira ran wide across the grass on lap 12, allowing Lloyd through into ninth while also earning a black-and-white flag. Further down the order, contact between Kosterman and Robertson triggered another investigation, with Robertson holding onto 12th place.
Palmowski, meanwhile, was in complete control. Her advantage grew to 7.5 seconds by lap 13 as she continued to lap consistently faster than the chasing pack. Lloyd briefly claimed fastest lap honours with a 1:49.112 before Larsen and later Felbermayr improved further as the track evolved.
Late Drama as Palmowski Survives Power Scare
The battle for the podium intensified late in the race. Felbermayr closed rapidly on Westcott and finally made the move stick on lap 14 after sustained pressure under braking. Westcott defended robustly but eventually ran across the grass while fighting to keep third place.
Kosterman later received a five-second penalty for her earlier incident with Robertson, before another clash involving Jacquet sent both drivers straight through the chicane.
With two laps remaining, Felbermayr emerged as the fastest driver on track with a 1:48.801 and began hunting down Bruce for second place. Yet even that duel could not distract from Palmowski’s extraordinary drive at the front.
On the final lap, Palmowski reported losing power over team radio, briefly threatening a dramatic finish. However, the gap she had built proved more than enough. Behind her, Felbermayr eventually found a way past Bruce to secure second position, while Bruce still delivered an outstanding performance to finish third in only her rookie campaign.
Record-Breaking Victory Strengthens Championship Lead
Palmowski crossed the line 10.9 seconds clear. A new biggest winning margin ever recorded in F1 Academy. Westcott followed in fourth ahead of Paatz in fifth. Larsen finished sixth ahead of Gademan, Granada, Lloyd and Ferreira, with Jacquet, Stevens, Kosterman, Robertson, Billard, Countryman, Dobson and Fisher completing the classification.
Remarkably, every car reached the finish, with no retirements despite the wet and challenging conditions. The victory continues Palmowski’s superb season form and extends her championship lead significantly. She now sits on 78 points, with Felbermayr second on 53. Campos also strengthened its position in the teams’ standings with 85 points, ahead of Prema in second place. After a weekend of changing conditions and relentless racing in Canada, Palmowski leaves Montreal as the clear driver to beat in the 2026 F1 Academy season. See you next time in Silverstone!