With three races remaining in the 2026 F1 Academy season, the fight for the remaining podium positions in the Drivers’ Championship is becoming increasingly competitive. Following Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), ten points separate Emma Felbermayr and Nina Gademan in second and third, while Alba Larsen has significantly reduced her deficit following her maiden victory.
Meanwhile, Payton Westcott remains involved in the battle for a top-three finish, with Sunday’s Feature Race presenting an important opportunity for the Mercedes-backed driver. The remaining races in Austin and Las Vegas could therefore produce further changes to the championship order, even though Palmowski has already secured the title.
Palmowski’s championship triumph shifts attention to remaining positions
Palmowski secured the 2026 Drivers’ Championship after recovering from eighth to second during Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race. Having already claimed her fifth victory of the season in Friday’s Opening Race, the Red Bull Racing-backed driver collected another nine points, including the fastest-lap bonus, to move to 170.
Her advantage over Felbermayr now stands at 67 points, leaving the Austrian unable to overturn the deficit with three races remaining. Consequently, Palmowski becomes the fourth champion in F1 Academy history and the first Campos Racing driver to secure the Drivers’ Championship.
However, while the title fight has concluded, the positions immediately behind the champion remain undecided. Felbermayr continues to hold second with 103 points, followed by Gademan on 93 and Larsen on 76.
The remaining calendar features Sunday’s Feature Race in Austin before the championship concludes with a Reverse Grid Race and Feature Race in Las Vegas on 19–21 November.
With up to 65 additional points available to drivers who have not secured Sunday’s Feature Race pole, the remaining events provide opportunities for significant changes in the standings. Now, Felbermayr, Gademan and Larsen enter the final three races as the leading contenders for the remaining championship podium positions.
Felbermayr retains ten-point advantage in battle for second
Felbermayr enters Sunday’s Feature Race holding second in the Drivers’ Championship despite another difficult Austin weekend.
The Audi-backed Rodin Motorsport driver arrived at COTA with a 17-point advantage over Gademan, having maintained second throughout much of the season. However, the Dutch driver’s runner-up finish in Friday’s Opening Race reduced that advantage to nine points.
Felbermayr recovered from eleventh on the grid to finish fifth on Friday, securing ten points. She subsequently added another five with fourth place in Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race, moving her championship total to 103.
Although the Austrian maintained her advantage over Gademan, the gap increased by only one point following Saturday’s race. Furthermore, Larsen’s victory brought another competitor closer to second place, reducing the Ferrari-backed driver’s deficit to 27 points.
Felbermayr therefore faces pressure from both MP Motorsport drivers heading into the final races.
Her immediate challenge comes during Sunday’s Feature Race, where she will start ninth following a difficult Qualifying session. With Gademan starting third and Larsen fifth, Felbermayr faces the possibility of losing further ground unless she can recover positions.
Nevertheless, her championship advantage provides an important buffer as she attempts to secure the runner-up position before the season concludes in Las Vegas.
Gademan targets second after consistent podium performances
Gademan remains Felbermayr’s closest challenger, sitting third in the standings with 93 points, just ten behind the Austrian.
The Alpine-backed MP Motorsport driver has enjoyed a particularly competitive run since Silverstone, regularly challenging for podium finishes and reducing her deficit to the championship’s leading contenders.
Her performances at Zandvoort proved particularly important, with consecutive third-place finishes allowing her to move closer to Felbermayr. Gademan subsequently finished second during Friday’s Austin Opening Race, collecting 18 points and bringing herself within nine of the Austrian.
However, Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race proved more challenging. Starting sixth, Gademan lost ground during the Safety Car restart, with both Palmowski and Felbermayr moving ahead. She eventually finished fifth, collecting four points while Felbermayr secured five.
Despite losing another point to her rival, Gademan remains firmly in contention for second.
Furthermore, she holds an important advantage heading into Sunday’s Feature Race, having qualified third compared with Felbermayr’s ninth. The six-place difference provides an opportunity for Gademan to reduce the championship deficit or potentially overtake the Austrian in the standings.
However, she must also consider the threat from teammate Larsen, whose recent performances have brought her considerably closer to the championship’s top three.
Larsen’s maiden victory strengthens challenge for third
Larsen has emerged as another major contender for a top-three championship finish following her impressive run of performances since the summer break.
The Ferrari-backed driver entered the Zandvoort round without a podium from her first 21 F1 Academy starts. However, consecutive runner-up finishes in the Netherlands marked a significant improvement, moving her into fourth in the Drivers’ Championship.
She continued that momentum in Austin, finishing third during Friday’s Opening Race after a closely contested battle with Gademan.
Saturday then delivered her breakthrough result. Starting fourth in the Reverse Grid Race, Larsen capitalised on the opening-lap collision between Rafaela Ferreira and Jade Jacquet to take the lead before controlling the remainder of the contest.
Her maiden victory added ten points to her championship total, moving her to 76 and reducing her deficit to Gademan to just 17.
Furthermore, Larsen now sits 27 points behind Felbermayr, keeping second place within reach should her recent form continue.
The Danish driver will start fifth in Sunday’s Feature Race, two positions behind Gademan but four ahead of Felbermayr. Another strong result could allow her to close the gap to both rivals before the championship heads to Las Vegas.
Westcott remains within reach of championship podium
Although Felbermayr, Gademan and Larsen occupy the leading positions behind Palmowski, Westcott remains a mathematical contender for a top-three finish.
The Mercedes-backed PREMA Racing driver currently sits fifth with 58 points, trailing Larsen by 18 and Gademan by 35.
Westcott has demonstrated competitive pace throughout the season, particularly during the Zandvoort Reverse Grid Race, where she secured her maiden F1 Academy victory.
However, her Austin weekend has proved more challenging. Despite qualifying second for both full-points races, an opening-lap mistake during Friday’s Opening Race dropped her from the leading positions, eventually leaving her seventh.
She subsequently finished sixth during Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race, adding three points to her championship total.
Nevertheless, Sunday’s Feature Race provides a significant opportunity for the American, who will start from the front row alongside Palmowski.
Westcott’s second-place grid position places her ahead of Gademan, Larsen and Felbermayr. A podium finish would therefore allow her to reduce the deficit to her closest championship rivals, depending on their results.
Although her 35-point gap to Gademan remains substantial, the remaining races offer enough points for Westcott to challenge for third if she can combine strong results with difficulties for the drivers ahead.
Bruce, Lloyd and Granada also retain mathematical opportunities
Further down the standings, Megan Bruce, Ella Lloyd and Natalia Granada remain mathematically capable of challenging for a championship podium position.
Bruce currently occupies sixth with 51 points, having added two points for seventh place during Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race. She sits seven behind Westcott and 25 behind Larsen, although her deficit to third-placed Gademan remains 42 points.
Meanwhile, McLaren-backed Lloyd follows in seventh on 48 points after finishing eighth on Saturday. The Rodin Motorsport driver trails Gademan by 45 points and Larsen by 28, leaving her with considerable ground to recover.
Granada occupies eighth with 43 points, 50 behind Gademan. However, the PREMA Racing driver qualified fourth for Sunday’s Feature Race, providing an opportunity to score significantly after Saturday’s formation-lap infringement and subsequent penalty left her outside the points.
Although all three remain mathematically involved in the battle for third, they would require particularly strong performances across the remaining races alongside setbacks for the leading contenders.
The battle immediately behind Larsen therefore remains particularly important, with Westcott, Bruce, Lloyd and Granada all attempting to maximise their championship positions before the season finale.
Austin Feature Race could reshape fight for second and third
Sunday’s Feature Race represents the next important stage of the championship battle, with the qualifying order placing several contenders in advantageous positions.
Gademan starts third, ahead of Larsen in fifth, while Westcott occupies second alongside Palmowski. Meanwhile, Felbermayr faces a more challenging recovery from ninth.
Consequently, the starting order provides Gademan with an opportunity to reduce her ten-point deficit to Felbermayr. Larsen also has a chance to close the 17-point gap to her MP Motorsport teammate, while Westcott will attempt to capitalise on her front-row position.
However, the race remains unpredictable, particularly after the incidents and penalties that influenced both the Opening Race and Reverse Grid Race.
With 25 points available for victory and an additional point for fastest lap, Sunday’s result could significantly affect the standings before the final round in Las Vegas.
For Felbermayr, limiting the points gained by her rivals will be particularly important. Gademan and Larsen, meanwhile, have opportunities to capitalise on stronger starting positions and reduce their respective deficits.
Las Vegas finale to decide remaining Drivers’ Championship positions
Although Palmowski has secured the Drivers’ Championship, the remaining races provide several opportunities for the order behind her to change.
Felbermayr enters the final three races second on 103 points, holding a ten-point advantage over Gademan. Meanwhile, Larsen sits 17 behind her MP Motorsport teammate, having significantly strengthened her position through four consecutive podium finishes, including Saturday’s victory.
Westcott also remains involved in the battle for third, although her 35-point deficit to Gademan makes strong results increasingly important.
Sunday’s Feature Race could considerably alter those gaps, particularly with Gademan, Larsen and Westcott all starting ahead of Felbermayr.
The championship will then conclude in Las Vegas, where two further races provide opportunities for the remaining contenders to secure valuable points.
With the title decided, attention now shifts towards which drivers will complete the championship podium alongside Palmowski. Felbermayr retains the advantage for second, but Gademan’s consistency, Larsen’s recent momentum and Westcott’s competitive qualifying position ensure that the remaining standings battles are far from settled.
