Palmowski wins F1 Academy's first-ever Opening Race in Montreal with dominant margin

Credit: F1 Academy

After stealing pole by a considerable margin, Alisha Palmowski has remained unstoppable, winning F1 Academy's newly introduced Opening Race in dominant fashion at the Circuit Gilles Villeuneuve.

Palmowski was joined on the podium by Megan Bruce and Mathilda Paatz, both drivers in their maiden F1 Academy seasons.

The race start was dramatic, with Palmowski instantly cruising into the distance while further behind, championship-leader Emma Felbermayr stalled at the start and Ava Dobson faced a costly lock-up from 11th on the grid.

As the 17-lap race progressed, Palmowski remained in control of proceedings, calmly setting the fastest laps of the session with ease at the head of the field. Meanwhile, Felbermayr managed to recover to 14th by Lap 4.

Elsewhere, a battle was brewing between Ella Lloyd and Ella Stevens, the two McLaren drivers in a scrap for ninth place. Lloyd managed to best Stevens, securing a top 10 finish with a commendable recovery after starting 16th on the grid.

Meanwhile, Lisa Billard found herself with front-wing damage, peeling into the pits for repairs, as Esmee Kosterman became the second driver with an early pitstop after collecting damage from contact with Dobson on Lap 6.

By Lap 10, the race had settled into its rhythm, with the top 10 occupied by Palmowski, Bruce, Paatz, Rafaela Ferreira, Alba Larsen, Payton Westcott, Nina Gademan, Kaylee Countryman, Lloyd and Stevens.

With seven laps remaining, Palmowski continued to pull out her advantage in the lead, dunking nearly seven seconds on Bruce. Lap 10 also saw a battle between Gademan and Countryman for seventh place, Gademan managing to stay ahead and progressing up to sixth after passing Mercedes driver Westcott.

On Lap 13, Westcott's afternoon came to an unfortunate end as she became the first retirement of the race with internal damage to her car.

The following lap saw Felbermayr continuing her recovery drive after the slow start, now chasing Stevens for ninth to salvage her race. Try as she might through the final laps, the Audi driver was unable to progress further and settled for 10th.

Up front, Palmowski stretched her legs and sailed home to her first-ever Opening Race victory in F1 Academy, collecting 25 championship points for the win. Bruce, Paatz, Ferreira and Larsen completed the top five, while Lloyd, Countryman, Stevens, Gademan and Felbermayr were the last of the points-scorers in F1 Academy's first race of the Canadian weekend.