Palmowski Wins by 10.1 Seconds in F1 Academy Drivers Montreal Run
Alisha Palmowski turned pole into a 10.1-second win in the Montreal Opening Race, leading from lights to flag in f1 academy drivers action. The Red Bull Racing driver set the largest winning margin in F1 ACADEMY history and left Montreal with the benchmark result of the race.
Palmowski Controls Montreal
Palmowski kept the lead into Turn 1 after a perfect launch from pole and never gave it back. Megan Bruce finished second, and Mathilda Paatz crossed third for her maiden F1 ACADEMY podium.
Campos Racing also took its first 1-2 finish of the season, with Rafaela Ferreira helping place all three Campos cars inside the top four. That made the front of the order look settled once Palmowski pulled clear and the fight shifted behind her.
Bruce And Paatz Break Through
Bruce's second-place run mattered because it came in the same race that gave her first podium in the category. Paatz joined her there, and her third-place finish completed a Montreal result that changed more than one career line in the standings sheet.
Behind them, the race kept breaking open. Emma Felbermayr stalled in fourth and dropped to the back of the field, Ava Dobson picked up a punctured right rear tyre after slight contact from Esmee Kosterman at Turn 6, and Rachel Robertson sent Natalia Granada into a spin with a dive up the inside.
Recovery Drives And Penalties
Ella Lloyd recovered from P16 to P11 by Lap 2 after a disastrous qualifying session, then finished sixth. Lisa Billard and Alba Larsen fought for sixth before contact left Billard with a broken front wing, while Payton Westcott received a five-second penalty after going off-track at Turn 13 and failing to follow the Race Director's instructions.
Gademan also picked up a five-second time penalty for the same issue at Turn 13. Countryman finished seventh for her first points, Ella Stevens took eighth for her first points, Gademan classified ninth, and Felbermayr grabbed the final point in tenth.
Countryman will line up on pole for the Reverse Grid Race at 18:05 local time, giving the rest of the field a short turnaround after a race that belonged to Palmowski at the front and to several firsts throughout the order.
