Ferrari-backed Alba Larsen claimed her maiden F1 Academy victory in Austin, turning fourth on the reverse grid into a commanding win after emerging from a chaotic opening lap at the Circuit of the Americas. The Danish driver took control when the opportunity appeared and never surrendered it, giving Ferrari its biggest reason to celebrate in a race that also decided the 2026 Drivers’ Championship.
While Larsen controlled proceedings at the front, Alisha Palmowski produced a major recovery from eighth to second. That result was enough for the Briton to secure the championship with three races still remaining, while Lisa Billard completed the podium with the first top-three finish of her rookie season.
Alba Larsen seizes the lead after chaotic Austin start
Rafaela Ferreira started from pole position and retained the advantage into Turn 1, but the order quickly became unsettled. Jade Jacquet applied immediate pressure and briefly moved ahead during the opening lap before contact involving Jacquet and Ferreira triggered a Safety Car. Wild Card entrant Alexia Danielsson subsequently made contact with the stricken Williams-backed car.
Larsen made the most of the disruption and Ferreira’s resulting damage to move into first place. Palmowski had also started her charge through the field, climbing to sixth, with closest championship rival Emma Felbermayr following immediately behind in seventh.
Once racing resumed on Lap 5, Larsen wasted little time establishing control. The Ferrari-backed driver began opening a gap to the chasing group, putting herself in a position to dictate the remainder of the race rather than becoming involved in the increasingly intense battles behind.
Billard moved around the outside of the struggling Ferreira at Turn 1 to take second place, while Palmowski and Felbermayr continued advancing. The two championship contenders both passed Nina Gademan before running side-by-side, with Palmowski managing to keep her rival behind.
A subsequent incident involving the Audi-backed and Alpine-backed cars created additional breathing room for Palmowski. A 10-second stop-and-go penalty for Natalia Granada over a starting-procedure infringement then promoted the championship leader into third place.
Ferrari-backed Alba Larsen pulls clear at the front
Felbermayr soon overtook Ferreira for fourth, meaning only one position separated the two title rivals. By that stage, however, Larsen was continuing to extend her advantage and had effectively removed herself from the fight developing behind her.
Palmowski began closing on Billard and eventually drew alongside before completing the move for second. With Felbermayr still fourth, that overtake put the Red Bull Racing-backed driver in the position she needed to secure the championship.
Larsen responded by continuing to set the pace at the front. She recorded the fastest lap on Lap 8 and maintained a comfortable margin over Palmowski, leaving her rivals with few opportunities to challenge for the victory.
The performance was particularly significant after Larsen had already come close to taking her first victory during her strong F1 Academy Opening Race in Austin. This time there would be no late setback, as the Dane converted her pace into the breakthrough result she had been chasing.
Alba Larsen finally secures her maiden F1 Academy victory
Larsen crossed the finish line first to complete the move from fourth on the grid to victory, sealing her maiden F1 Academy win in convincing fashion. For Ferrari, the result represented an important milestone for the young driver chosen to represent the Maranello marque during the 2026 F1 Academy campaign.
Palmowski followed home in second, completing an impressive recovery from eighth and becoming the 2026 F1 Academy champion. Her result also made her the first Campos Racing driver to claim the championship.
Billard secured third place and her maiden F1 Academy podium, while Felbermayr finished fourth ahead of Gademan in fifth. Home driver Payton Westcott took sixth, Megan Bruce finished seventh and Ella Lloyd collected the final point in eighth.
What comes next after Alba Larsen’s Austin breakthrough?
With Larsen now a race winner and the Drivers’ Championship already settled, attention turns to Sunday’s Feature Race at the Circuit of the Americas. Palmowski will start from pole position as she targets a sixth victory of the season in the final race of Round 5.
The Feature Race is scheduled for October 25 from 12:00 to 12:30 local time in Austin, UTC−5, giving Larsen another opportunity to build immediately on the momentum of her first F1 Academy victory.
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