The F1 Academy field delivered an action-packed weekend at the 2026 Chinese GP, where raw pace alone wasn’t enough to guarantee success. With changing track conditions, multiple Safety Car interruptions, and a tightly packed grid, the margins between a standout result and a frustrating outcome were finer than ever.
Ultimately, Shanghai proved to be a weekend where execution was everything — separating the winners who seized their opportunities from the losers who left valuable points on the table.
Winners of the 2026 F1 Academy Chinese GP
Emma Felbermayr – Rodin Motorsport (supported by Audi)
Emma Felbermayr emerged as one of the biggest winners from the F1 Academy weekend in Shanghai, combining consistency, racecraft, and the ability to capitalise on key moments.
Across the weekend, Felbermayr positioned herself firmly at the front of the field, delivering a strong qualifying performance that set her up to fight for top results. Unlike several of her rivals, she maximised both races, staying out of trouble in the reverse grid race to finish P2 in Race 1, and had even more success in Race 2.
She demonstrated composure under pressure, particularly during the late Safety Car restart. While others faltered, Felbermayr kept her car under control and seized the opportunity to move forward, turning race pace into her maiden Race victory in F1 Academy.
Nina Gademan – MP Motorsport (supported by Alpine)
Gademan came away from the F1 Academy Chinese GP as one of the clear positives, delivering a composed and consistent performance across both races.
After finishing in P8 during qualifying with a time of 2:04.917, Gademan focused on maximising every opportunity available. In the reverse grid race, she kept her race clean and maintained a lights-to-flag victory, ahead of rookie Natalia Granda and Felbermayr in P3.
She carried that momentum into Race 2, where her race craft and awareness stood out. Amid multiple Safety Car interruptions and high-pressure restarts, Gademan remained calm and capitalised on the mistakes of others, gaining positions while maintaining strong pace, where she finished the race just short of a podium position.
Payton Westcott – PREMA Racing (supported by Mercedes)
Westcott emerged as one of the standout winners from the F1 Academy weekend in Shanghai, delivering a breakthrough performance built on consistency and smart race execution.
After showing promising pace early in the weekend, with a P3 finish in Free Practice and P4 in Qualifying, Westcott put herself in a strong position to fight at the front in Race 2.
This proved to be a highlight, as Westcott combined strong pace with composure under pressure to secure a maiden F1 Academy podium. In a race shaped by Safety Car interruptions and late drama, she remained calm through the restarts and took advantage of mistakes ahead to climb into the top positions.
Losers of the weekend
Alba Larsen – MP Motorsport (supported by Ferrari)
Larsen had her strongest ever F1 Academy Qualifying result in Friday’s session, finishing in P2 to give her a start on the front row in Race 2, but unfortunately her weekend took a turn from there. In Race 1, she started P7, due to the reverse grid nature of the race. She was fighting Felbermayr for P5, but heading into Turn 3, she made contact with the rear of Felbermayr’s Audi, dislodging her front wing and dropping her down in the race.
Race 2 went off to a strong start, where Larsen was able to take the lead early, but after a late Safety car in the race, she lost control at the restart, dropping into the gravel and tumbling down the order. Both Race mistakes were missed opportunities for her maiden win or a podium in F1 Academy.
Alisha Palmowski – Campos Racing (supported by Red Bull Racing)
Alisha Palmowski endured a frustrating F1 Academy weekend in Shanghai, as strong early pace failed to translate into a standout result. After impressing in practice and remaining competitive in qualifying by claiming pole position, she looked well-placed to challenge at the front across both races.
However, a combination of race interruptions, including Safety Car periods, and the challenges of track position meant Palmowski was unable to fully capitalise on her speed. In Race 2, after starting on pole, she was unable to convert the P1 start into victory, dropping behind Felbermayr and Larsen on Lap 1, Turn 1, where she was unable to get back in front of the Audi. In a tightly contested field where margins are minimal, she left the weekend having missed an opportunity despite her evident pace.
Esmee Kosterman – MP Motorsport (supported by LEGO)
Esmee Kosterman endured a frustrating F1 Academy weekend in Shanghai, with her results failing to reflect her overall performance. The defining moment came in the Feature Race, where Jade Jacquet locked up under braking at Turn 14 and made contact, taking Kosterman out of the race. The stewards deemed the incident not her fault, but it still forced both drivers into retirement and brought an early end to her race.
With the Feature Race offering the largest points haul of the weekend, the collision left Kosterman empty-handed and cost her a valuable opportunity to build early-season momentum. Ultimately, her difficult weekend stemmed not from a lack of pace, but from an unfortunate incident that denied her the chance to convert strong performance into a meaningful result.
