Lisa Billard celebrated her maiden F1 Academy podium after finishing third during Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race at the 2026 United States GP, marking a significant breakthrough in her rookie campaign. The Gatorade-backed ART Grand Prix driver followed her fourth-place finish in Friday’s Opening Race with another competitive performance at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), securing her first top-three result in the championship.
Starting third on the reversed grid, the French driver moved into second following the Safety Car restart before facing pressure from Alisha Palmowski, who was attempting to secure the 2026 Drivers’ Championship. Although Billard ultimately conceded the position, she maintained third to finish behind race winner Alba Larsen and the newly crowned champion.
Following the race, Billard reflected on the difficulties of converting her pace into consistent results throughout the season, the pressure of defending against Palmowski and the importance of the support she has received from ART Grand Prix, Gatorade and her family.
Billard celebrates breakthrough podium after challenging rookie campaign
Billard entered the Austin weekend seeking to convert her competitive pace into stronger results after an inconsistent opening four rounds of the 2026 F1 Academy season. Although the French driver had demonstrated promising speed at several circuits, she had struggled to maintain that performance throughout entire race weekends.
However, the penultimate round marked a significant improvement. Billard qualified sixth for Sunday’s Feature Race before producing her strongest result of the season in Friday’s Opening Race, finishing fourth behind Palmowski and MP Motorsport teammates Nina Gademan and Larsen.
Her eighth-place qualifying position was not necessary for the Reverse Grid Race, as the sixth-fastest driver would start third under the championship’s reversed-grid regulations. Saturday subsequently provided another opportunity to challenge for a podium, with Billard capitalising on the circumstances to secure third place.
Reflecting on her achievement, the Gatorade-backed driver acknowledged how difficult it had been to combine her pace with consistent execution throughout a complete weekend.
“It’s very cool because it was quite difficult,” Billard noted. “I was always very fast, but I was struggling to put everything together in one weekend.
“It’s good that it happened here because Texas was a big challenge for me, with only one Free Practice session out on track. I’m very happy.”
The result marked her first podium in F1 Academy, building on the progress demonstrated during Friday’s race.
Billard capitalises on Safety Car restart to challenge for second
Billard’s podium followed a dramatic opening lap in which several of the leading contenders became involved in incidents while fighting for position.
Starting behind Rafaela Ferreira and Jade Jacquet, the French driver initially battled Larsen before the Ferrari-backed driver moved ahead. However, contact between Ferreira and Jacquet at Turn 16 subsequently eliminated the Williams-backed driver and wildcard Alexia Danielsson, prompting Race Control to deploy the Safety Car.
Larsen capitalised on the incident to take the lead, while Billard remained among the leading contenders. When racing resumed on Lap 6, Ferreira struggled for pace, allowing Billard to overtake the Brazilian around the outside of Turn 1 and move into second.
The French driver subsequently maintained her position as Palmowski recovered through the field, placing her under increasing pressure during the second half of the race.
Although Billard could not prevent the championship leader from overtaking her into Turn 12 on Lap 10, she retained third until the chequered flag.
Consequently, Billard secured her maiden F1 Academy podium in the Austin Reverse Grid Race, completing a competitive performance despite the interruptions and positional battles.
Billard describes pressure of defending against Palmowski
One of Billard’s most significant challenges came during her battle with Palmowski, who was attempting to secure the Drivers’ Championship with three races remaining.
The Red Bull Racing-backed driver started eighth but progressed rapidly following the opening-lap incidents and Safety Car restart. Having moved into third, Palmowski began closing on Billard, eventually gaining sufficient momentum to challenge for second.
On Lap 10, Palmowski secured a strong exit from Turn 11 before using the slipstream along the back straight to overtake Billard into Turn 12.
Although the French driver lost second, she remained close enough to the championship leader to maintain a competitive pace while protecting her first podium finish.
Billard admitted that the situation had been particularly stressful, especially given the significance of the result for both drivers.
“It was really stressful,” she explained. “I was trying to follow Alisha, but I knew she was fighting for the title and I was fighting for my first podium, so I just didn’t want to crash. I was just trying to stay with her.”
Palmowski ultimately finished second to secure the championship, while Billard completed the podium behind Larsen.
The result also marked another important milestone during a weekend in which Billard had already demonstrated her competitiveness against several of the championship’s leading drivers.
Austin performances highlight Billard’s improving consistency
Billard’s third-place finish continued an encouraging Austin weekend in which she achieved her two strongest results of the season.
The French rookie entered the United States GP with 15 championship points, having struggled to consistently translate competitive single-lap pace into points-scoring finishes.
However, Friday’s Opening Race provided an important improvement. Starting fourth, Billard remained involved in the leading battles despite pressure from Felbermayr and finished in the same position, collecting 12 points.
Saturday’s podium subsequently added another six points, increasing her total to 33 and moving her into tenth in the Drivers’ Championship standings.
The two results also contributed 18 points towards ART Grand Prix’s Teams’ Championship total, helping the French outfit reduce its deficit to fifth-placed Hitech to just four points.
Having struggled to maintain consistent results earlier in the year, Billard has now scored more points during the opening two races in Austin than across the previous four rounds combined.
With Sunday’s Feature Race still to come, she has another opportunity to build on that improvement before the championship concludes in Las Vegas.
Billard thanks ART Grand Prix, Gatorade and family after maiden podium
Following her breakthrough result, Billard also acknowledged the contribution of those who have supported her throughout her rookie season.
The French driver has competed with ART Grand Prix throughout 2026, representing Gatorade while continuing her development in single-seater racing.
Although the season has presented several challenges, Saturday’s podium provided an opportunity to celebrate with the team after a weekend in which Billard demonstrated considerably greater consistency.
She also recognised the support of her family and friends, who followed the race from home despite the time difference between France and Texas.
“I just want to say a big thank you to the ART Grand Prix team, Gatorade and my family,” she said. “My dad and my friends were sitting at home, staying up until 1am to watch my race.”
The result marked an important achievement for both Billard and ART Grand Prix, particularly after a challenging campaign in which the French team had struggled to consistently compete for podium positions.
Furthermore, it provided encouragement ahead of the final races, with Billard having established a stronger foundation for the remainder of the championship.
Billard aims to maximise Sunday’s Austin Feature Race
Despite celebrating her maiden podium, Billard remains focused on continuing her progress during Sunday’s Feature Race.
The ART Grand Prix driver will start sixth, having secured that position during Thursday’s Qualifying session. Although she will begin behind several of the leading championship contenders, her recent performances have demonstrated her ability to remain competitive during longer races.
With Palmowski already crowned champion, the remaining events will determine the final positions in the Drivers’ Championship. Meanwhile, ART Grand Prix continues pursuing Hitech for fifth in the Teams’ standings, providing another incentive for Billard to secure a strong result.
Asked about her ambitions for Sunday, Billard emphasised the importance of capitalising on the opportunities available while continuing to enjoy her racing.
“Tomorrow is a new day, and we need to optimise the result. There are good points to catch up, so I just want to have fun and make the most out of this weekend.”
With fourth and third-place finishes already secured in Austin, Billard enters the final race of the weekend having achieved her strongest results of 2026.
The French rookie will now attempt to extend that run, using her improved consistency to challenge for another points finish before the season concludes in Las Vegas.
