ALISHA PALMOWSKI Tops Opening Practice As F1 Academy Season Four Begins

March 13, 2026

• ALISHA PALMOWSKI dominated the opening practice session at Shanghai International Circuit, posting a commanding 2:04.550 to lead by half a second over ALBA LARSEN and PAYTON WESTCOTT. The Red Bull-supported driver, coming off a debut victory last season, was the first to break the 2:05 barrier and completed her fastest lap with consistent improvements across all three sectors before returning to the pits satisfied with two minutes remaining.
• ALBA LARSEN showcased strong early pace in her new Ferrari-supported seat at MP Motorsport, becoming the first driver to break into the 2:05s with a 2:05.5 lap time. The Danish driver battled for top position throughout the session on a green and dusty circuit surface, exchanging fastest times with PAYTON WESTCOTT and EMMA FELBERMAYR before ultimately settling into second position. Her consistent performance positions her as a serious championship contender entering her sophomore campaign.
• PAYTON WESTCOTT secured third place just three hundredths behind Larsen with a 2:05.041, demonstrating immediate competitiveness in the intense battle at the front where the top four drivers were separated by less than half a second. RAFAELA FERREIRA impressed with a late surge to fourth overall at 2:05.176, while LISA BILLARD climbed to fifth with strong pace following her wildcard appearance in Singapore last season.
• The rookie class showed promising signs as highly rated karting graduate ELLA STEVENS briefly ran sixth during her first single-seater session, while NATALIA GRANADA placed eleventh in her first-ever single-seater event. Wildcard entrant SHI WEI returned to compete at her home event with Hitech after recording the first timed lap of the 2026 season, though she finished 18th following a Turn 1 spin that brought out the session’s only yellow flag.

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