Nina Gademan moved into second in the 2026 F1 Academy Drivers’ Championship following a commanding victory in Sunday’s Feature Race at the United States GP. The Alpine-backed MP Motorsport driver converted third on the grid into victory at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), overturning her ten-point deficit to Emma Felbermayr and leaving Austin with a six-point advantage over the Austrian.
Meanwhile, Mercedes-backed Payton Westcott finished second, while Natalia Granada completed the podium for PREMA Racing. However, the race also featured a dramatic collision between newly crowned champion Alisha Palmowski and Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race winner Alba Larsen, forcing both drivers to retire.
Palmowski, who secured the 2026 Drivers’ Championship on Saturday, retains a commanding advantage at the top despite her retirement. However, the battle for second remains open ahead of the Las Vegas finale, while Larsen and Westcott sit level on points in fourth and fifth.
The Teams’ Championship also remains undecided. Campos Racing continues to lead, but MP Motorsport has reduced its deficit following Gademan’s victory. Meanwhile, PREMA Racing has closed to within two points of Rodin Motorsport in the battle for third.
Palmowski retains commanding championship lead despite Austin retirement
Palmowski entered Sunday’s Feature Race having already secured the Drivers’ Championship following her remarkable recovery from eighth to second in Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race. The Red Bull Racing-backed driver had extended her championship advantage beyond the points available in the remaining races, becoming the first Campos Racing driver to claim the title.
Starting Sunday’s Feature Race from pole, Palmowski initially lost positions to Westcott and Gademan before recovering to second on Lap 2. However, she subsequently faced sustained pressure from Larsen as the pair fought for position behind the race leader.
Their battle ended on Lap 10 when Larsen attempted an overtake at Turn 12. Contact between the two drivers damaged both cars and forced them to retire, prompting a Safety Car intervention.
Although Palmowski failed to finish, she collected two championship points for pole position, increasing her total from 170 to 172.
Consequently, the British driver heads into the Las Vegas finale with a 53-point advantage over Gademan, who now occupies second. With 39 points available across the final two races, Palmowski’s championship position remains mathematically secure.
The newly crowned champion will therefore arrive in Las Vegas with five victories and an opportunity to conclude her title-winning campaign with further strong results.
Gademan overtakes Felbermayr for second with Austin victory
Gademan entered Sunday’s Feature Race third in the standings with 93 points, trailing Felbermayr by ten. However, her third-place starting position provided an important advantage over the Austrian, who qualified ninth.
The MP Motorsport driver made an excellent getaway, moving ahead of Palmowski before overtaking Westcott around the outside to take the lead on the opening lap. Although Palmowski and Larsen subsequently challenged her, Gademan maintained her advantage and capitalised on their battles to extend her lead.
Following their collision on Lap 10, Gademan controlled the final restart and crossed the line ahead of Westcott and Granada to secure her maiden F1 Academy victory.
The result added 26 points, including the fastest-lap bonus, increasing her championship total to 119.
Meanwhile, Felbermayr recovered from ninth to finish fifth, collecting ten points and moving to 113. Consequently, Gademan overturned her ten-point deficit and now leads the Austrian by six points.
With the final two races scheduled for Las Vegas, the battle for second remains closely contested. However, Gademan enters the season finale with the advantage after converting her strongest Austin performance into a decisive championship gain.
Felbermayr faces six-point deficit ahead of Las Vegas finale
Felbermayr leaves Austin third in the Drivers’ Championship following another points-scoring performance in Sunday’s Feature Race.
The Audi-backed Rodin Motorsport driver entered the weekend holding second, but Gademan’s podium finish in Friday’s Opening Race significantly reduced her advantage. Although Felbermayr maintained a ten-point lead following Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race, the difference in their starting positions for Sunday’s contest left her vulnerable.
Starting ninth, Felbermayr worked her way through the field, passing Robertson and Billard before engaging in a lengthy battle with Jacquet for fourth.
Although the Austrian briefly moved ahead during the closing stages, Jacquet reclaimed the position. Felbermayr subsequently finished fifth, collecting ten points and increasing her championship total to 113.
However, Gademan’s victory and fastest lap yielded 26 points, allowing the Dutch driver to move six ahead.
Felbermayr must therefore outscore Gademan during the Las Vegas finale to reclaim second in the championship. With 39 points still available, the deficit remains manageable, although both drivers will need strong results across the remaining two races.
Larsen and Westcott level on points in battle for fourth
The battle for fourth in the Drivers’ Championship has become particularly competitive following Westcott’s second-place finish in Sunday’s Feature Race.
Larsen entered the race fourth with 76 points, having claimed her maiden F1 Academy victory in Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race. However, her collision with Palmowski ended her Feature Race prematurely, preventing her from adding to that total.
Westcott, meanwhile, started alongside Palmowski on the front row and briefly claimed the lead before Gademan overtook her. Although she subsequently lost positions to Palmowski and Larsen, their collision promoted her back into second.
The Mercedes-backed driver maintained that position following the late Safety Car restart, collecting 18 points and increasing her championship total from 58 to 76.
Consequently, Westcott moves level with Larsen, although the Ferrari-backed driver retains fourth in the official standings.
Both drivers now sit 37 points behind third-placed Felbermayr, leaving a mathematical opportunity to challenge for a championship podium finish in Las Vegas. However, their immediate battle for fourth remains considerably closer, with both entering the finale on identical totals.
Larsen will also carry a three-place grid penalty following the Palmowski collision into her next race, adding another consideration to her championship challenge.
Granada climbs to sixth following Austin podium
Granada enjoyed an important recovery during Sunday’s Feature Race, securing third place and moving into sixth in the Drivers’ Championship.
The Sephora-backed PREMA Racing driver entered the final race of the weekend eighth in the standings on 43 points, having failed to score during Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race following a formation-lap infringement.
However, starting fourth on Sunday provided an opportunity to recover. Although Larsen initially overtook her, Granada remained among the leading contenders before the collision between Palmowski and Larsen promoted her to third.
She successfully defended her position during the final-lap restart to claim her strongest result of the Austin weekend.
The podium added 15 points, increasing her championship total to 58 and promoting her ahead of Megan Bruce and Ella Lloyd in the standings.
Granada consequently enters Las Vegas sixth, holding a six-point advantage over both drivers.
Meanwhile, Bruce and Lloyd remain level on 52 points following Sunday’s race, having finished tenth and eighth, respectively. Their results leave them seventh and eighth in the championship, with Bruce ahead in the official classification.
Billard continues strong Austin weekend as Jacquet makes progress
Lisa Billard continued her impressive Austin weekend with sixth place during Sunday’s Feature Race, adding another eight points to her championship total.
The Gatorade-backed ART Grand Prix driver had already secured fourth in Friday’s Opening Race before celebrating her maiden F1 Academy podium in Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race.
Her Feature Race result completed a particularly productive weekend, bringing her championship total to 41 points and promoting her into ninth in the standings.
Meanwhile, teammate Jade Jacquet achieved her strongest result of the season with fourth place on Sunday.
The Williams-backed driver successfully defended against Felbermayr throughout the closing stages, eventually securing 12 points. Combined with her single point from Friday’s Opening Race, Jacquet leaves Austin on 13 points.
Esmee Kosterman also added two points with ninth place, increasing her total to 12. The LEGO-backed driver consequently sits sixteenth, immediately behind Jacquet.
ART Grand Prix’s strong weekend has also strengthened its position in the Teams’ Championship, with the French outfit moving ahead of Hitech for fifth.
2026 F1 Academy Drivers’ standings after the United States GP Feature Race
- Alisha Palmowski — 172 points — Champion
- Nina Gademan — 119
- Emma Felbermayr — 113
- Alba Larsen — 76
- Payton Westcott — 76
- Natalia Granada — 58
- Megan Bruce — 52
- Ella Lloyd — 52
- Lisa Billard — 41
- Mathilda Paatz — 35
- Rachel Robertson — 28
- Rafaela Ferreira — 27
- Chiara Bättig — 22 (Wildcard)
- Kaylee Countryman — 14
- Jade Jacquet — 13
- Esmee Kosterman — 12
- Ava Dobson — 8
- Ella Stevens — 6
- Ava Fisher — 0 (Wildcard)
- Zoë Florescu — 0 (Wildcard)
- Alexia Danielsson — 0 (Wildcard)
- Wei Shi — 0 (Wildcard)
Campos Racing retains Teams’ Championship lead despite Austin setbacks
Campos Racing remains at the top of the Teams’ Championship following the conclusion of the United States GP weekend, although MP Motorsport has significantly reduced its advantage.
The Spanish outfit entered Sunday’s Feature Race leading MP Motorsport by 69 points, having benefited from Palmowski’s victory in Friday’s Opening Race and her championship-winning second place on Saturday.
However, Sunday’s Feature Race proved considerably more challenging. Palmowski retired following her collision with Larsen, while Rafaela Ferreira finished fifteenth after an early pit stop for front-wing damage. Consequently, Megan Bruce provided the team’s only race-finishing points contribution with tenth place, while Palmowski’s pole-position bonus added another two points.
Campos Racing therefore increases its championship total to 251 points, just three more than its post-Reverse Grid Race total.
Meanwhile, MP Motorsport capitalised on Gademan’s victory and Esmee Kosterman’s ninth-place finish, collecting 28 points from Sunday’s race. Despite Larsen’s retirement, the Dutch outfit increases its championship total to 207 points.
Consequently, Campos Racing’s advantage falls from 69 to 44 points, keeping the Teams’ Championship mathematically open heading into the Las Vegas finale.
MP Motorsport strengthens second as battle for third intensifies
MP Motorsport strengthened its hold on second in the Teams’ Championship following another competitive weekend, with Gademan’s Feature Race victory adding to Larsen’s success in Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race.
The Dutch outfit collected 80 points across the three Austin races, compared with Campos Racing’s 39, significantly reducing the championship deficit. With two races remaining in Las Vegas, MP Motorsport will attempt to continue that momentum and challenge the Spanish outfit for the Teams’ title.
Meanwhile, the battle for third has become particularly close, with Rodin Motorsport and PREMA Racing separated by just two points.
Rodin entered Sunday’s Feature Race third with 157 points, holding a 21-point advantage over PREMA. However, Westcott’s second-place finish and Granada’s podium delivered 33 points for the Italian outfit, increasing its total to 169.
Rodin, meanwhile, collected 14 points through Felbermayr’s fifth-place finish and Lloyd’s eighth, moving to 171.
Consequently, PREMA reduces its deficit from 21 points to just two, setting up another closely contested championship battle at the Las Vegas finale.
ART Grand Prix overtakes Hitech for fifth
ART Grand Prix also made significant gains during Sunday’s Feature Race, moving ahead of Hitech into fifth in the Teams’ Championship.
The French outfit entered the race sixth with 48 points, trailing Hitech by four. However, strong performances from Jacquet and Billard allowed ART to overturn that deficit.
Jacquet secured fourth, collecting 12 points following an impressive defensive performance against Felbermayr. Meanwhile, Billard finished sixth, adding eight points after her breakthrough podium in Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race.
ART Grand Prix therefore collected 20 points on Sunday, increasing its championship total to 68.
Hitech, meanwhile, added six points through Robertson’s seventh-place finish, moving to 58. With Dobson outside the points and Danielsson absent following her wrist injury, the team could not match ART’s result.
Consequently, ART moves ten points ahead of Hitech, adding another championship position battle to those awaiting resolution in Las Vegas.
2026 F1 Academy Teams’ standings after the United States GP Feature Race
- Campos Racing — 251 points
- MP Motorsport — 207
- Rodin Motorsport — 171
- PREMA Racing — 169
- ART Grand Prix — 68
- Hitech — 58
Las Vegas finale set to decide remaining championship positions
Although Palmowski secured the Drivers’ Championship in Austin, several important battles remain unresolved ahead of the final round in Las Vegas.
Gademan enters the finale second with 119 points, holding a six-point advantage over Felbermayr. With 39 points available across the Reverse Grid Race, Feature Race and associated bonuses, both drivers remain firmly in contention for the runner-up position.
Meanwhile, Larsen and Westcott enter Las Vegas level on 76 points, with the Ferrari-backed driver retaining fourth in the standings. Although both retain a mathematical opportunity to challenge Felbermayr for third, their immediate battle for fourth remains particularly close.
The Teams’ Championship also promises a competitive conclusion. Campos Racing holds a 44-point advantage over MP Motorsport, while just two points separate Rodin Motorsport and PREMA Racing in the battle for third.
Further down the standings, ART Grand Prix will attempt to defend its newly established ten-point advantage over Hitech.
With the Austin Feature Race concluding the penultimate round, F1 Academy now turns its attention to Las Vegas on 19–21 November, where the remaining Drivers’ and Teams’ Championship positions will be decided.
