Alisha Palmowski delivered a commanding performance in the opening Qualifying session of the 2026 F1 Academy season, securing her maiden pole position at the Chinese GP in Shanghai.
The Red Bull Racing-backed driver outpaced key rivals including Alba Larsen and Emma Felbermayr. Moreover, she set the benchmark lap of 2:04.182, finishing four-tenths clear of the field to lock in the front-row start for Sunday’s Race 2.
The result marks a significant milestone for Palmowski, who repeatedly finished near the top of the standings last season but had yet to convert her pace into a pole position.
A perfect start to the new season
Palmowski immediately expressed satisfaction after the session. However, she also emphasised that the result represents only the first step in a much longer championship fight.
“It’s the perfect start to the year to be honest,” she began. “I do feel like it’s been a very long time coming for me, finishing P2 in almost every race last year. I feel like we’ve always had the raw speed and the potential to be on pole, but to finally get the job complete here in the first round of 2026 is the perfect start to the season.
“It obviously puts us in a position on Sunday where we can hopefully win the race, but being fast over 30 minutes is a completely different challenge to just being quick on a one-off lap. Nothing is won or lost yet but we’ll keep our heads down, keep focused and try to bring the win home.
“I’m here to win the series, not just every single race. Obviously I want to win every single race but I’ve got to play a clever game as well. If the win’s on the cards then absolutely we’ll go for it, but equally I just want to bring home as many points for the team as possible.”
The Shanghai venue has quickly become a favourite hunting ground for Palmowski. Notably, she claimed her only victory of the 2025 season at the circuit in the reverse-grid race.
Now, she has returned to the track and immediately demonstrated her pace again. This time, however, she converted that speed into a crucial Qualifying result. Consequently, the pole position places her in a strong position to challenge for victory when the grid lines up for Race 2 on Sunday.
Palmowski reflects on managing pressure in complicated 2026 F1 Academy campaign after strong Qualifying at the Chinese GP
Despite the impressive margin, the session itself proved far from straightforward. Tyre strategy decisions, heavy traffic and a brief red flag following an incident involving Kaylee Countryman disrupted the rhythm of several drivers. Nevertheless, Palmowski maintained composure and executed her laps with precision.
“It’s very difficult because with the small margins that we’re talking about, if you push 1-2% more, you have a huge snap of oversteer and the lap’s gone,” she said. “Equally, if you push 1-2% less, you’re just not fast enough so it’s very much a balancing act of how close you’re willing to get to the limit without overstepping it. I feel like we judged that really well today. The car was great – a big thank you to Campos Racing as well for providing me with the fast car.”
Ultimately, Palmowski’s pole position provides an early boost to her 2026 championship ambitions. More importantly, it confirms the pace that she frequently showed throughout last season.
If she can translate that Qualifying speed into consistent race results, she could quickly establish herself as a leading contender for the F1 Academy crown. For now, though, the focus remains firmly on converting pole position into victory on Sunday.
