PRACTICE: Palmowski leads the way in opening session of 2026 in Shanghai

Alisha Palmowski started the 2026 F1 ACADEMY season in style as she confidently set the pace in the sole Free Practice session around the Shanghai International Circuit.

Despite having the lowest lap count on the board, the Red Bull Racing driver sealed the top spot with a time of 2:04.550 to eke out an advantage of 0.467s over Alba Larsen. Rookie Peyton Westcott completed the top three for Mercedes, only 0.024s off the Ferrari junior.

Amid a gradual start to the 40-minute session, it came down to Ferrari’s Larsen to kick off the action as she set one of the first flying laps with a 2:07.132. With just one Practice on offer in Shanghai, both experienced and rookie drivers – with 11 making their full-time debut in the series – had limited running to learn the track ahead of Qualifying.

The Danish driver quickly bettered her own effort, becoming one of the few to brave the dusty conditions while PUMA driver Rachel Robertson found herself just over two tenths adrift of the lead.

Larsen’s hold on P1 didn’t last for long as Robertson then went half a second faster to break into the 2:05s, with Nina Gademan sat in third place at the halfway point.

As the traffic increased, the gaps began to narrow, with Emma Felbermayr the next to set the fastest lap of the session before Mercedes’ Westcott immediately shot into first on a 2:05.319. The lead continued to exchange hands as Larsen came back with another flying lap, edging out the American by less than a tenth.

McLaren driver Ella Lloyd entered the contest, taking P2 before she was demoted by fellow second-year racer Palmowski, with the top four covered by just 0.071s.

Palmowski went five tenths clear on her next attempt and set a benchmark of 2:04.699, which she then improved on in the final minutes to end with a rapid time of 2:04.550.

Elsewhere, the drivers continued to explore the limits with Shi Wei triggering a brief Yellow Flag appearance after spinning at Turn 1 before being able to rejoin.

Palmowski’s Campos Racing teammate Rafaela Ferreira was fourth behind Larsen and Westcott, with Lisa Billard settling in as the second quickest rookie in P5. Mathilda Paatz was next for Aston Martin ahead of Lloyd, Felbermayr and TAG Heuer’s Megan Bruce, who saved a late lock-up, while Gademan rounded out the top 10.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The first Qualifying session of 2026 will take place at 14:10 local time (UTC+8), which will set the grid for Race 2. The top eight qualifiers will be reversed to determine the grid for Race 1.