ALISHA PALMOWSKI Claims Maiden F1 Academy Pole; GADEMAN Leads Reverse Grid
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March 13, 2026
GRRL! SUMMARY:
- ALISHA PALMOWSKI dominated Shanghai qualifying with a commanding four-tenth margin over Ferrari’s ALBA LARSEN, securing her maiden F1 Academy pole after controlling both practice and qualifying sessions with decisive late improvements.
- NINA GADEMAN’s eighth-place finish earned the Dutch driver reverse-grid pole for Saturday’s opener, mirroring her 2025 advantage while rookie NATALIA GRANADA impressed with seventh in her first-ever single-seater qualifying.
- EMMA FELBERMAYR completed the top three ahead of PAYTON WESTCOTT and RAFAELA FERREIRA, while LISA BILLARD’s fastest final sector secured sixth after KAYLEE COUNTRYMAN’s red flag briefly interrupted final runs.
- AVA DOBSON narrowly missed reverse-grid pole by a tenth with ninth, while ELLA LLOYD’s tenth couldn’t improve post-red flag as the 2026 championship kicks off Saturday at 13:45 local time.
UPCOMING:
- F1 Academy Race 1 – Shanghai International Circuit – Saturday 13:45 local time
LINKS TO RACER'S PROFILE PAGES:
all-female f1 academy, autodromo enzo e dino ferrari, oracle red bull racing, shanghai international circuit
GRRL! summary based upon reporting by RACERS originally appearing on www.racers-behindthehelmet.com
