The 2026 F1 Academy Canadian GP delivered dominant wins, breakthrough performances, and costly mistakes.
With Montreal one of the venues on the 2026 calendar to host a three-race format, quick recoveries and the ability to manage chaos proved crucial to success. While some drivers were quick to adapt, others struggled.
Winner of the 2026 F1 Academy Canadian GP
Alisha Palmowski – Campos Racing (supported by Red Bull Racing)
Alisha Palmowski emerged as one of the biggest winners of the 2026 F1 Academy Montreal round, leaving with a 78-point lead in the Drivers’ Standings. The Briton’s dominance began in Free Practice as she topped the session with a 1:39.371 before going on to claim a double pole position in Qualifying.
The Opening Race saw Palmowski steadily extend her race lead after making a strong launch off the line. Never looking under threat, she crossed the chequered flag to claim her first win of the season with a record-breaking 10.119s winner margin. However, the Reverse Grid Race proved difficult as she suffered from front wing damage in a collision with Alba Larsen before being spun by teammate Megan Bruce, leaving her with a P10 finish.
She was quick to reassert herself at the front in the Feature Race as she started from P1 and controlled the pace in wet-track conditions. Although she made a few small mistakes and reported a power issue on the penultimate lap, Palmowski achieved another dominant victory, beating her Opening Race margin record to now make it 10.955s.
Mathilda Paatz – PREMA Racing (supported by Aston Martin)
Aston Martin’s Junior Mathilda Paatz had a breakthrough weekend, one year on from making her F1 Academy debut at the same circuit. Paatz showed strong Qualifying pace, going fifth-fastest on both her fastest and second-best laps, setting her up well for the three races.
She revealed her consistent front-runner pace in the Opening Race, claiming an emotional maiden podium with a P3 result after taking advantage of an incident between Bruce and Payton Westcott. The German driver carried her momentum into the second race of the weekend, originally crossing the chequered flag in P2 before inheriting the win from Rafaela Ferreira, who was handed a five-second time penalty.
Despite finishing P5 in the Feature Race, Paatz left Montreal with Aston Martin’s first F1 Academy win and an impressive 35 points after maximizing every opportunity.
Megan Bruce – Campos Racing (supported by TAG Heuer)
Megan Bruce joins Paatz as one of the standout rookies of the 2026 F1 Academy Canadian GP, having shown resilience and pace with a double-podium.
The TAG Heuer-supported driver began her weekend well, as the fastest rookie in Free Practice, finishing P3, just 0.487s behind Palmowski. Qualifying third and second, respectively, she lined up on the front row for the Opening Race before keeping calm under immense pressure as Westcott attempted to challenge her. There, she achieved her maiden F1 Academy podium with a P3 finish. In the Reverse Grid Race, she faced a small performance setback after enduring a racing incident with Palmowski, which left her in P7.
Bruce bounced back in the Feature Race as she claimed P2 early on and coped well with the wet weather in the opening stages. However, later on, she clipped the wall, allowing an on-the-charge Emma Felbermayr through as she dropped down to P3. Through it all, Bruce emerged as one of the weekend’s surprise front-runners, making her one to watch for the next F1 Academy race.
Losers of the 2026 F1 Academy Canadian GP
Esmee Kosterman – MP Motorsport (supported by Lego)
Esmee Kosterman endured another difficult weekend in the 2026 F1 Academy season, struggling to find performance on Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Kosterman’s troubles began early as she finished last in Free Practice and Qualifying. The Opening Race saw the Dutch driver make contact with Ava Dobson, before later receiving a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane. She partially recovered from the difficult weekend start, climbing from P18 to P9 in the Reverse Grid Race.
However, she was soon hit with another five-second time penalty in Sunday’s Feature Race for causing a collision with Jade Jacquet, ultimately finishing P12. While she showed recovery pace in the Reverse Grid Race, her rookie mistakes left her with no points to her name.
Rafaela Ferreira – Campos Racing (supported by Racing Bulls)
Despite having race-winning potential, Rafaela Ferreira’s Montreal weekend was damaged by costly mistakes at critical moments.
Ferreira began her weekend with a promising P4 result in the Opening Race. Later, in the Reverse Grid Race, she took the race lead with a strong launch off the line from P2 before her execution unraveled. After acing a safety car restart, the Brazilian driver received a five-second time penalty for jumping the start, dropping her from P1 to P8.
More driver errors followed in the Feature Race as she struggled to stay on track, received a black-and-white flag, and ultimately finished P10. While she managed to score points in every race, she looked capable of delivering far more.
Nina Gademan – MP Motorsport (supported by Alpine)
Nina Gademan had a rough 2026 F1 Academy Canadian GP, securing only 8 points despite showing flashes of pace.
The Opening Race saw the MP Motorsport driver receive a five-second time penalty for cutting the track and gaining an advantage, which dropped her from P6 to P9. Further chaos unfolded in the Reverse Grid Race when Gademan attempted to avoid the incident between Bruce and Palmowski, only to end up in the barriers and out of the race.
Her difficult weekend continued in the Feature Race, where repeated off-track mistakes undid several strong overtakes and limited her to a P7 finish.
