Written by Teagan Strachan Credit: F1 Academy Sunday morning marked the beginning of the final F1 Academy race of Round 1 in Shanghai with the grid reverted back to qualifying positions for Race 2. The front row will be occupied by Red Bull Racing backed driver Alisha Palmowski and Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy’s Alba Larsen as the pilots compete across 13 intense laps and fight for a spot on the podium. How it happened As the lights went out, Palmowski had an unfavourable

Nina Gademan charged to victory from reverse-grid pole as Natalia Granada crossed the line in second on her F1 Academy debut, while Emma Felbermayr bagged third place after an intense race-long battle for the final podium spot.

The 2026 F1 Academy gets underway this weekend at the season opener in Shanghai, with plenty of returning drivers and fresh talent joining the grid. Here's everything you need to know about the 17 full-time drivers, their teams, their goals for this year and more.

Everything you need to know ahead of F1 Academy’s 2026 season opener in Shanghai — championship favourites, top stories, timings and more.