FEATURE RACE: Gademan seizes second victory of the season with assured Austin drive

Nina Gademan secured her second F1 ACADEMY race win of the season with a remarkable move around the outside at the first corner in Austin's Feature Race, moving her up to second place in the Drivers’ Standings.

After lining up third, the Alpine driver was pushed to the outside, but made the most of it, going around the outside to take the race lead on the first corner of Lap 1. Payton Westcott got a superb start, overtaking polesitter Alisha Palmowski off the line.

Alba Larsen started fifth and chased Palmowski for seven Laps, but an unfortunate move forced both her and the newly crowned champion to retire. This promoted Westcott and PREMA Racing teammate Natalia Granada on to the podium.

Following an incident in yesterday’s Reverse Grid Race, Wild Card driver Alexia Danielsson was declared unfit to drive in the Feature Race by the Chief Medical Officer after sustaining a wrist injury following a collision with Jade Jacquet.

The newly crowned 2026 F1 ACADEMY champion, Palmowski, started on pole but couldn't hold on as Westcott got a perfect launch and got around the Red Bull Racing driver off the line. Gademan, from third on the grid, was forced to go to the outside but took advantage of the drivers bunching up on the inside. The Dutch racer swept around the outside to take the lead out of Turn 1 and dropping Palmowski into third and Westcott into second.

Larsen once again made a charge at the race start, overtaking Granada at Turn 4 to move into fourth. Palmowski forced Westcott to defend in the first few corners of Lap 2, running side by side with the Red Bull Racing driver, getting the move done on the inside and moving up into second place.

Westcott found herself immediately under pressure from Larsen as the two drivers ran side by side, with Larsen holding the advantage out of the long straight and moving up into third.

Further back, Rafaela Ferreira dropped to the back of the grid after going three-wide with Felbermayr and Rachel Robertson at Turn 1. The Racing Bulls driver made slight contact with the Audi driver and was forced to pit for a new front wing.

Felbermayr started ninth, but found a way past both Robertson and Lisa Billard on Lap 2, and worked her way up to seventh. The Audi driver then found herself frustrated behind Jacquet, attempting a cut-back into Turn 16, but wasn’t able to get the overtake done. Felbermayr tried multiple moves on the Williams driver, including a dive into Turn 1, but was forced to stay behind Jacquet.

Gademan, Palmowski and Larsen pulled away, putting over two tenths between themselves and the rest of the field.

The Red Bull Racing driver couldn’t shake Larsen, who followed close behind the champion, putting her under pressure for seven laps.

After multiple attempts to pass Palmowski, the Ferrari driver dove down the inside on Lap 10, locked up, and ran wide. When she rejoined the track, she and Palmowski drifted together, and Larsen picked up front-left damage. Palmowski had to pull over a few corners later with right-rear suspension damage, forcing both drivers to retire and the Safety Car was brought out to retrieve both cars.

When racing resumed on Lap 12, it was a one-lap sprint to the finish. Gademan executed a perfect restart, catching Westcott off guard, as the Mercedes driver and Granada dropped back and the Alpine driver pulled away to secure her second race win of the season by over a second.

Home hero Westcott had to settle for second, with Granada completing the podium in third and securing her second podium of the season. Jacquet held off Felbermayr to take fourth, her best result so far, while the Audi driver held on to fifth after starting eleventh.

Billard took P6, with Rachel Robertson seventh, ahead of Ella Lloyd, Esmee Kosterman and Megan Bruce, who complete the top 10.

WHAT'S NEXT?

F1 ACADEMY heads back to the bright lights of Las Vegas, as the 2026 season draws to a close with Round 6 from November 19-21.