Nina Gademan has revealed how studying her previous race start helped her secure victory in the 2026 F1 Academy Feature Race at the United States GP. The Alpine-backed MP Motorsport driver executed a calculated move around the outside of Turn 1 to take the lead before holding off newly crowned champion Alisha Palmowski and Alba Larsen.
Starting third at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), Gademan overtook Palmowski and Payton Westcott on the opening lap before controlling the race. Although Palmowski and Larsen applied pressure during the opening stages, their subsequent collision left Gademan defending her advantage through a late Safety Car restart.
The Dutch driver eventually secured her second victory of the season, finishing ahead of Westcott and Natalia Granada. The result also moved her into second in the Drivers’ Championship, six points ahead of Emma Felbermayr with two races remaining.
Gademan reveals preparation behind decisive Turn 1 overtake
Gademan entered Sunday’s Feature Race determined to improve on her performance during Friday’s Opening Race, where she finished second behind Palmowski.
The Alpine-backed driver had started third in both contests, giving her an opportunity to analyse the approach to the opening corner and identify where she could gain positions.
After reviewing footage of Friday’s start, Gademan noticed that drivers frequently concentrated on the inside line through the uphill Turn 1, potentially leaving enough space for an outside move.
“I planned to do that actually,” she explained. “Last night, I actually couldn’t sleep for the first hour, but I went to bed early though. But I rewatched the start, what did I do wrong on Friday and what can I do to not do that again today.
“I noticed that everyone cramps up on the inside of that corner every Safety Car restart, every start and I noticed that I have the space. From P3 I have got quite a lot of space in front of me that if I just go around the outside and take all the momentum around the corner, then I can overtake around the outside.”
The strategy proved successful. Although Westcott made a particularly strong initial getaway, Gademan carried greater momentum through the first corner and moved into the lead.
Gademan knew the opening lap would be crucial to victory
Gademan acknowledged that even she had been surprised by how effectively the move worked, particularly given Westcott’s strong launch.
However, she recognised that gaining track position early would be essential at COTA, where overtaking can prove difficult despite the circuit’s width and multiple opportunities for side-by-side racing.
“Because Westcott is cramped up, she has to stop. She doesn’t take as much speed through the corners as I did. Then I pulled it off and I was like, wow, I pulled it off. I didn’t even expect to pull it off, because Payton’s start was really good, the initial launch, but then I just had a better Turn 1. It was good because I knew I had to be in front of Payton because I know I’m faster.”
The Dutch driver was also aware of the pace demonstrated by Palmowski and Larsen throughout the Austin weekend. Both had been among her strongest rivals, making it especially important to establish an advantage before they could settle into their race rhythm.
“I knew me, Alisha and Alba were just the strongest out this weekend and I knew I had to get in front because later on in the race it’s so hard to overtake, which you saw with Alba and Palmowski, because the track is so wide you can stick around and you can defend. I knew Lap 1 was the most important and the job was done in Lap 1.”
Palmowski and Larsen pressure Gademan before collision
Despite taking the lead, Gademan could not immediately escape from her rivals. Palmowski recovered to second on Lap 2, while Larsen advanced into third and began challenging the newly crowned champion.
The leading trio gradually established a gap to the remaining competitors, leaving Gademan defending against two drivers who had demonstrated considerable pace throughout the weekend.
However, the Dutch racer remained composed, focusing on maintaining her rhythm while the battle behind her intensified.
“I feel like it wasn’t easy today. I really had to fight for it,” she admitted. “Being under pressure from the champion of the grid, the best driver this year and then Alba Larsen as well. But I think I kept my head cool. I looked forward.”
Gademan also recognised that the battle between Palmowski and Larsen provided an opportunity to manage her tyres, particularly as degradation became increasingly noticeable during the race.
“I think they stayed with me because it’s easier to stay close in the tow,” she explained. “But as soon as they started fighting from mid-race, I knew I could breathe a little bit and manage the tyres a little bit.”
Their fight ultimately ended in contact on Lap 10, forcing both drivers to retire. The stewards subsequently found Larsen responsible for the collision, imposing a three-place grid penalty for her next race.
Late Safety Car restart tests Gademan’s composure
The collision between Palmowski and Larsen triggered a Safety Car intervention, eliminating Gademan’s advantage and bringing Westcott and Granada back into contention.
Although she had been able to manage her pace and tyre condition during the middle stages, Gademan faced renewed pressure as the field prepared for a final-lap restart.
The Alpine-backed driver admitted that tyre degradation had already become significant following the Formula 1 sessions at COTA, while the Safety Car’s slow pace introduced another challenge.
“I could feel that now that F1 has laid the rubber down and the fact we didn’t really have a safety car until the end, the tyres really started to degrade a lot at the end of the race. But then with the Safety Car, I was actually kind of annoyed it was so slow, because he was like driving second gear for us. I was like, are you doing this to give us another lap and it was like, you know what, I will give you one.”
Nevertheless, Gademan executed a well-timed restart, accelerating later than her rivals anticipated as the field approached the final sector.
“The Safety Car restart was really good,” she explained. “I think I caught her off guard because I went quite late into the triple right, but the drivers behind expected me to go at Turn 19 or 20.”
With Westcott coming under pressure from Granada, Gademan quickly established sufficient breathing room to control the remaining lap and secure victory.
Austin victory moves Gademan into second in F1 Academy standings
Gademan’s Feature Race victory completed an important Austin weekend for the MP Motorsport driver, who also finished second in Friday’s Opening Race.
Although she experienced a more challenging Reverse Grid Race on Saturday, her two podium finishes brought her 2026 total to six and strengthened her position in the Drivers’ Championship.
Gademan entered Sunday’s contest ten points behind Felbermayr, who had retained second in the standings following Saturday’s race. However, victory and the fastest-lap bonus increased the Dutch driver’s total to 119 points, while Felbermayr finished fifth and moved to 113.
Consequently, Gademan overturned her championship deficit and established a six-point advantage heading into the season finale.
The Dutch racer also acknowledged the contrasting fortunes of MP Motorsport teammate Larsen, whose collision with Palmowski ended her race despite demonstrating competitive pace.
“I feel bad for Alba for not finishing because she’s my teammate and I obviously want her to fight for that P3 as well against Emma,” she admitted. “But on the other hand, for me it gives me a lot of breathing room.”
Larsen remains fourth in the standings on 76 points, level with Westcott, while Palmowski has already secured the championship with 172.
Gademan targets strong Las Vegas qualifying to defend second
With Palmowski already crowned the 2026 F1 Academy Drivers’ Champion, Gademan’s attention has shifted towards securing second in the final classification.
The 23-year-old enters the Las Vegas finale with a six-point advantage over Felbermayr, although the remaining two races leave the Austrian with an opportunity to recover the position.
Gademan believes her performances in Austin have provided a strong foundation, particularly after the disappointment of Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race.
“It’s almost impossible to get out of the top three right now, which I think is really good. It’s good to get P2 and I think the most important thing now is to get a really good Qualifying in Las Vegas and score good points in the Feature Race again.
“I was so annoyed yesterday. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time with Jade (Jacquet) that spun and obviously I didn’t get the podium I wanted, but I knew my pace was really strong. Felbermayr was the strongest out of everyone, so I knew I just had to get it and now it’s all about repeating this in Las Vegas.”
Having demonstrated her ability to challenge Palmowski and Larsen at Austin, Gademan will now aim to reproduce that performance when F1 Academy concludes its 2026 campaign in Las Vegas from 19–21 November.
