Alba Larsen celebrated an emotional maiden F1 Academy victory during Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race at the 2026 United States GP, admitting that hearing the Danish national anthem from the top step of the podium left her struggling to find the words to describe the occasion.
The Ferrari-backed MP Motorsport driver converted fourth on the grid into victory at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), taking advantage of a dramatic opening lap before controlling the remainder of the race. Larsen crossed the finish line 2.368 seconds ahead of Alisha Palmowski, who secured the 2026 Drivers’ Championship with second place, while Lisa Billard completed the podium.
The result marked another milestone in Larsen’s remarkable improvement during the second half of the season. After waiting until her 22nd F1 Academy start to secure her maiden podium, the 17-year-old has now recorded four consecutive top-three finishes, culminating in her first victory.
Larsen celebrates emotional maiden F1 Academy victory in Austin
Larsen entered Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race having narrowly missed out on victory on several occasions, including during the previous round at Zandvoort and Friday’s Opening Race in Austin. However, starting fourth provided another opportunity to challenge for her maiden win, with the Danish driver immediately making progress during the opening lap.
Following the race, Larsen struggled to describe the significance of finally reaching the top step of the podium. Having worked her way through the opening-lap battles before establishing a comfortable advantage, she expressed particular satisfaction with the manner of her victory.
“It means a lot,” she remarked. “Right now, I don’t really know what to say. Especially to take a win like this, I really had to fight for it. Starting P4, overtaking on the first laps, getting a really good restart after the Safety Car, leading every lap and getting a big gap is the best way you can run away with it.”
Although Larsen appeared composed throughout the race, the emotion of securing her first victory became evident during the podium ceremony. Hearing the Danish national anthem proved particularly memorable, with the Ferrari-backed driver admitting that she struggled to contain her tears.
“I had to fight for it, and I stayed in front. Honestly, it’s the best feeling to win a race like that, and you could really see on the podium how much it meant.
“I was crying hearing the Danish national anthem. It was an amazing feeling hearing it, singing along. I almost forgot the lyrics!”
Larsen capitalises on chaotic opening lap to claim lead
Larsen’s victory followed a dramatic opening lap in which several leading contenders became involved in incidents while fighting for position.
Starting fourth behind Rafaela Ferreira, Jade Jacquet and Billard, Larsen immediately challenged for places. She moved ahead of Billard following a close battle before the fight for the lead took a decisive turn.
Jacquet had overtaken Ferreira into Turn 12, but the Racing Bulls-backed Brazilian attempted to reclaim the position at Turn 16. Contact between the pair sent Jacquet spinning, while wildcard Alexia Danielsson could not avoid the incident. Both drivers retired, prompting Race Control to deploy the Safety Car.
Larsen capitalised on the disruption and overtook Ferreira into Turn 19 to claim the lead. With the Safety Car deployed, the MP Motorsport driver then faced the challenge of maintaining her advantage when racing resumed.
However, she executed a strong restart and immediately began establishing a gap over the chasing field. While Ferreira subsequently dropped down the order, Larsen continued extending her advantage over Billard and the recovering Palmowski.
The Dane eventually secured a commanding victory in Saturday’s Reverse Grid Race, becoming the latest driver to claim her maiden F1 Academy win during the 2026 season.
Larsen credits preparation and tyre management for dominant performance
Although the opening-lap incidents helped Larsen move into the lead, maintaining that position required careful preparation and race management.
The Danish driver explained that she approached the Safety Car restart with a clear understanding of when she wanted to accelerate and how she intended to manage the remaining laps. Once racing resumed, she concentrated on maintaining a comfortable gap while preserving her tyres.
Throughout the second half of the race, Larsen continued setting competitive lap times, preventing her rivals from closing sufficiently to mount a challenge.
“I knew exactly what to do on the restart,” she said. “I was so clear on when I wanted to go, and I just tried to manage the gap and my tyres so that they would stay alive.
“Honestly, I just kept my head down and looked forward. My engineer was telling me to keep pushing, and during the last two laps I asked, ‘What is the fastest lap?’ and tried to go for it.
“I was maybe a bit too late, but I just felt really great, calm and collected. It was a great feeling.”
Although Larsen attempted to secure the additional point for fastest lap during the closing stages, Palmowski ultimately claimed the bonus after recording a 2:08.294 on Lap 12.
Nevertheless, Larsen maintained her advantage to the chequered flag, finishing comfortably ahead of the newly crowned champion.
Maiden victory extends Larsen’s impressive run since Zandvoort
Larsen’s breakthrough in Austin continued a significant improvement in results following the summer break, during which she and MP Motorsport worked to strengthen their competitiveness.
Before Zandvoort, the Ferrari-backed driver had completed 21 F1 Academy starts without reaching the podium. However, she ended that drought during the Dutch GP Reverse Grid Race, finishing second behind Payton Westcott before securing another runner-up result in Sunday’s Feature Race.
Although Larsen left Zandvoort pleased with her double podium finish, she also acknowledged that victory had been possible, particularly after challenging Palmowski during the opening stages of the Feature Race.
Her improvement continued in Austin, where she finished third in Friday’s Opening Race following a closely contested battle with MP Motorsport teammate Nina Gademan.
Saturday’s victory therefore marked her fourth consecutive podium and her first appearance on the top step.
Reflecting on the significance of the result, Larsen highlighted how much she has developed throughout the season and expressed confidence in her ability to challenge for further victories.
“This shows exactly the potential I’ve had all year,” she said. “I have really grown over this year, and I have now shown that I can win a race. I think I can do it again.”
Larsen highlights mental strength and work undertaken over summer break
Beyond the improvement in her results, Larsen credited the work undertaken with MP Motorsport during the summer break for helping her become more competitive.
The Danish driver spent the interval preparing for the championship’s remaining rounds, combining simulator work, physical training and additional racing experience to strengthen her performance.
Her preparations included appearances in the British F4 Championship, where she gained further experience with Chris Dittmann Racing. The programme also delivered a podium finish at Zandvoort in July, providing additional track time before F1 Academy returned to the Dutch circuit.
Those preparations preceded Larsen’s strongest performances of the season, beginning with her double podium at Zandvoort and continuing through the Austin weekend.
The Ferrari-backed driver identified both her mental development and the work completed behind the scenes as important elements of her recent improvement.
“It definitely shows my mental strength and the work that goes into everything behind the scenes. Over the summer break, we really put in the work as a team to accomplish this result, and it just feels amazing.”
Her victory also contributed ten points to her championship total, moving her to 76 and strengthening her hold on fourth in the Drivers’ Standings.
With the Drivers’ Championship already decided in Palmowski’s favour, Larsen remains involved in the battle for second, trailing Emma Felbermayr by 27 points and Gademan by 17.
Victory follows confirmation of Larsen’s 2027 Ferrari programme
Larsen’s maiden victory also comes shortly after Ferrari confirmed that she will return for a third F1 Academy season in 2027.
The announcement made the 17-year-old the first confirmed driver for next year’s championship, with Larsen continuing her association with Ferrari and its Driver Academy.
Her return became possible following changes to F1 Academy’s eligibility regulations, which allow selected drivers to receive exemptions permitting a third consecutive season. Larsen became the first driver to receive such an exemption, providing her with another opportunity to develop her single-seater career.
The confirmation followed her improvement at Zandvoort, where consecutive podium finishes strengthened her position in the 2026 Drivers’ Championship.
Her subsequent performances in Austin have added another milestone to that progression, with Saturday’s victory demonstrating her ability to convert competitive pace into a race win.
With her place on the 2027 grid already secured, Larsen can now concentrate on the remaining races of the current campaign while preparing for another season representing Ferrari.
Larsen targets another podium in Sunday’s Austin Feature Race
Despite the celebrations surrounding her maiden victory, Larsen has already turned her attention towards Sunday’s Feature Race, where she will start fifth.
The Danish driver faces a different challenge compared with Saturday’s contest, with the regular qualifying order placing several of her principal championship rivals ahead.
Palmowski will start from pole position as the newly crowned champion, while Gademan and Billard will also feature among the leading contenders.
Nevertheless, Larsen enters the race with considerable momentum after three consecutive podium finishes and Saturday’s breakthrough victory. Her recent performances have also strengthened MP Motorsport’s position in the Teams’ Championship, with the Dutch outfit moving further ahead of Rodin Motorsport in second.
Looking ahead, Larsen acknowledged that recovering from fifth would require another competitive performance but remained confident in her ability to challenge for the podium.
“Tomorrow is going to be tricky starting P5, but I’m excited to fight my way to the podium again,” she stated.
With the Drivers’ Championship decided but the remaining positions still open, Sunday’s Feature Race provides Larsen with another opportunity to reduce the gap to Gademan and Felbermayr.
Following her first F1 Academy victory and an emotional podium celebration in Austin, the Ferrari-backed driver will aim to continue her recent run of results before the championship concludes in Las Vegas in November.
