F1 Academy Montreal Feature Race 2026: Palmowski Dominates In Damp Conditions

Alisha Palmowski converted pole into her second victory of the Montreal weekend, mastering drizzly conditions at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to win the F1 Academy Feature Race by 10.9 seconds and beat her own record for the largest winning margin in series history. Emma Felbermayr delivered the drive of the race to claim second, passing both Westcott and Bruce in the final three laps to grab a crucial result for the championship. Megan Bruce completed a Campos Racing one-two-three in third. Palmowski leads the Drivers’ Championship. Felbermayr follows in second, after salvaging a difficult weekend.

Key Points – F1 Academy Montreal Feature Race 2026

• Palmowski wins by 10.9 seconds, beating her own record for the largest winning margin in F1 Academy history set earlier in the weekend
• Felbermayr takes second after passing Westcott on Lap 14 and Bruce on the final lap. A championship-critical recovery drive across the closing stages
• Bruce third after a strong Campos Racing weekend, while Felbermayr’s late recovery completed the podium
• Palmowski reports an engine problem on the final lap but holds on. Leads the Drivers’ Championship after Montreal
• Kosterman receives a five-second time penalty for contact with Robertson. Jacquet cuts Turn 13 under investigation
• Lloyd charges from sixteenth into the points before dropping back following an off-track moment mid-race

The Start: Palmowski Holds, Bruce Makes Her Move

Race Recap: F1 Academy Montreal Feature Race 2026

Early morning showers left the circuit slippery and cold. Palmowski did not get the cleanest launch from pole but had enough on Westcott into Turn 1 to hold the lead. Bruce and Felbermayr went side by side behind her for third. Felbermayr initially appeared to have the position, but Bruce got back past through Turns 3 and 4 and immediately attacked Westcott, nailing her exit from the hairpin to move into second before the opening lap was done.

Lloyd was already moving from sixteenth. Trying to squeeze up the inside of Billard at Turn 2, the pair made contact and spun Billard’s car. The opening lap delivered chaos at the back before the race had found its shape.

Palmowski Pulls Clear, Midfield Battles

Palmowski led every lap. By Lap 7 the gap was already five seconds as the circuit slowly started drying. Once the circuit started changing, nobody could stay with her.

Behind Palmowski, the race was far messier. Gademan attempted a move on Larsen for sixth on Lap 4, had to bail out at the final chicane, and repeated it on Lap 5. Larsen took to the run-off on re-entry and lost out to Ferreira and Lloyd. Lloyd was on the move, passing Ferreira for seventh before Ferreira immediately retook the place at the hairpin. Going three-wide into the final chicane, Larsen cut across the kerb again. Later in the same lap Lloyd went off through the grass and dropped to tenth. A lock-up for Ferreira at Turn 10 let both Larsen and Granada move ahead, leaving the Brazilian to recover from outside the points.

Felbermayr Dispatches Westcott and Bruce

Felbermayr had been closing on Westcott through the middle phase of the race. On Lap 14 Westcott’s defence crumbled when a kick of oversteer sent the American wide over the grass at Turn 9. Felbermayr came through onto the podium.

She was not finished. Bruce hit the wall out of Turn 4 on the final lap, opening the door. Felbermayr drove down the inside to take second. A race that looked fairly average suddenly became massively important for her title fight.

Palmowski Holds On

Palmowski reported an engine problem on the final lap. She held on regardless, crossing the line 10.9 seconds clear of Felbermayr to take her second victory of the weekend and set a new record for the largest winning margin in F1 Academy history, beating the 10.1-second margin she had set herself in Race 1.

Feature Race Classification

Coffee Corner Take

Palmowski is in a different race to everyone else in this field right now. Two wins from three starts at Montreal, both of them by the largest margins the series has ever seen, and an engine problem on the final lap that she drove through without losing the lead. Right now, Palmowski looks like the driver everyone else is chasing.

Felbermayr’s final three laps rescued a weekend that could have been significantly worse. She came to Montreal as championship leader and had a stall, a spin and a broken front wing across the first two races. Second in the Feature Race after passing two drivers in the closing stages keeps this title fight from swinging heavily against her. Palmowski leads the championship now but the gap is not a disaster. How Felbermayr responds from here will define whether this season stays competitive or becomes a procession.

Bruce’s weekend deserves recognition. A maiden podium in Race 1, third in the Feature Race, and she was running second when Felbermayr arrived on the final lap. Campos took a one-two-three in the Feature Race. Campos clearly had one of the strongest cars in Montreal.

Paatz leaves Montreal with two podiums and a win. She arrived with none. The results are coming because the pace was already there. The question now is whether she can convert that into a consistent championship challenge across the remaining rounds.

Montreal summed up Ferreira’s season perfectly. Fast enough to fight at the front, leaving with almost nothing to show for it.

What’s Next?