In her second F1 Academy campaign, Ferrari-backed Alba Larsen continues to search for a standout weekend as one of the few returning drivers on the 2026 grid. While results have not always gone her way, the Danish driver has shown on multiple occasions that she has the pace to compete at the front of the field. Heading into the second half of the season, Larsen sits 9th in the Drivers’ Standings with 24 points.
A strong but mistake-filled weekend in Shanghai
The opening round of the 2026 F1 Academy season began on a strong note for Larsen, who managed to qualify P2 for Sunday’s race. Entering the campaign as one of the championship favourites, the 17 year-old quickly demonstrated her potential, showcasing her strong and competitive one-lap pace. However, the weekend also highlighted areas for improvement, with recurring mistakes showing that she still had lessons to learn as she adapted to the demands of a title fight.
Starting Race 1 from the fourth row of the grid, Larsen made a strong launch off the line and appeared to have the pace to move through the field. However, on Lap 7, an overly ambitious move on Audi-backed Emma Felbermayr resulted in front-wing damage. The damaged wing eventually detached from the car and brought out the safety car. At the restart, Larsen ran wide into the gravel at the final corner as she struggled for grip, forcing her to pit for a replacement front wing.
Looking to bounce back from a disappointing opening race, Larsen started Race 2 from the front row and beat Alisha Palmowski off the line to take the lead. Showing strong pace at the front, the Ferrari-backed driver quickly built a gap and appeared in control of the race from lights out until the first safety car period. However, at the restart, she appeared to succumb to the pressure and ran wide at the final corner, dropping down the order. Despite starting from the front row and showing winning pace, Larsen had to settle for a P8 finish to end the first round of the season.
Given what could have been, capitalising on her strong qualifying performance to start the season could have provided the returning driver with the perfect foundation for a strong second campaign.
Denied maiden podium in Montreal
The second round of the season saw the grid return to Montreal, a venue where Larsen had enjoyed success in 2025, scoring points in all three races across the weekend. She began the weekend strongly, qualifying P6 and putting herself in a strong position to continue that run of success at the venue. After securing a P5 finish in the Opening Race, the Reverse Grid Race presented another opportunity for the 17 year-old to challenge at the front, but the promising result would ultimately end in disappointment.
Starting the race from the second row of the grid, Larsen held herself strong in P3 throughout the race and crossed the chequered flag there. A penalty for race leader Rafaela Ferreira, who was stripped of victory after the finish, promoted the Danish driver to P2. Unfortunately for Larsen, the Danish driver had her maiden F1 Academy taken away, after she received a post-race five-second time penalty for causing a collision with Felbermayr. This dropped Larsen from P2 to P11 in the final race classification.
While Sunday’s Feature Race saw the Ferrari-backed driver finish in P6 and add further points to her tally, Larsen would have likely hoped for more from the weekend. After being stripped of her maiden podium and a significant points haul, the Danish driver’s aggressive race craft ultimately did not deliver the reward she was aiming for.
A lacklustre Silverstone round
The Silverstone round proved challenging for Larsen, particularly in terms of one-lap pace. After showing strong qualifying performances in the opening two rounds of the season, the Danish driver could only manage and had to settle for a P13 finish. However, despite the small setback, the weekend highlighted Larsen’s ability to fight her way through the field and recover positions in race conditions.
In the Reverse Grid Race, the 17 year-old fought her way through the field to finish P10, although the result was just outside the points-paying positions. A similar outcome followed in the Feature Race the next day, where Larsen again crossed the line in P10 and secured the final points-scoring position after demonstrating the pace and race craft needed to recover through the field.
Walking away from Silverstone with just one point, Larsen would have undoubtedly hoped to enter the summer break with stronger results to celebrate ahead of the second half of the season.
A fine balance between strengths and weaknesses for Larsen
Larsen’s 2026 F1 Academy campaign so far has been defined by a difficult balance between her strengths and areas for improvement. After demonstrating strong one-lap pace and the ability to fight at the front during the opening rounds, her qualifying performances have since taken a step back. However, the Ferrari-backed driver has continued to showcase the potential and race pace needed to deliver strong results, particularly through her impressive recovery drives through the field.
While Shanghai proved costly and represented an early setback in her championship aspirations, Larsen’s pace remains undeniable. The 17 year-old’s next step will be refining her execution, minimising mistakes, and avoiding unnecessary penalties and risks to ensure she can consistently convert her potential into results.
As she heads into the second half of the season still searching for her maiden F1 Academy podium, Larsen will inevitably be hoping to turn her evident pace and potential into the breakthrough result she has been chasing.
