Feature

IN STATS: Westcott becomes F1 ACADEMY’s youngest race winner on Zandvoort farewell

29 August 2026

A fourth and final visit to the Circuit Zandvoort certainly treated fans to an action-packed affair from start to finish. But as the dust settles on Round 4 of the 2026 F1 ACADEMY season, it’s time we dive into the notable numbers from the Netherlands…

Zandvoort is the only track to have featured every year since the inaugural season in 2023 and has hosted more races than any of the other 15 locations with nine.
Payton Westcott became the series’ youngest winner at 17 years, five months and two days old when she claimed victory in the Reverse Grid Race.
It was PREMA Racing’s 20th series win and extended the team’s winning streak at Zandvoort to three consecutive season. It was also the first time that the Italian squad have led a lap all season, after Mathilda Paatz inherited the Reverse Grid Race win in Montreal.

Palmowski converted her third pole of the season into her fourth victory

Alisha Palmowski accomplished her maiden Grand Slam, becoming the seventh driver to win from pole, set the fastest lap and lead every lap in a full Grand Prix points-style F1 ACADEMY race. She joins the list alongside Marta García (2), Hamda Al Qubaisi (2), Jessica Edgar (1), Abbi Pulling (5), Doriane Pin (2), Maya Weug (1) and Chloe Chambers (1).
The Red Bull Racing driver’s fourth victory matches Doriane Pin’s title-winning haul from 2025, while also marking the Briton’s 10th podium in the series.
Pole was the place to be in Zandvoort, with eight of the nine races having been won from pole. The only exception being Carrie Schreiner’s Race 2 win back in 2023.

MP Motorsport were the most successful team across Round 4, bringing home four podiums and 15 points more than their nearest rival and Standings leaders Campos Racing.
Alba Larsen enjoyed her highest-scoring F1 ACADEMY weekend, collecting 26 points —two more than the Ferrari driver had amassed across the opening three rounds.
Thanks to Larsen’s double podium, 11 drivers have now achieved silverware this season.
Her teammate Esmee Kosterman became the 16th driver to score points this season, courtesy of her P4 finish in the Reverse Grid Race.

Larsen and Kosterman climbed a combined places 11 to compete a 2-3-4 finish for MP in the Reverse Grid Race

For the third year in a row, Qualifying was impacted by rain, with near identical wet-to-drying conditions to last season.
Natalia Granada achieved her best-ever Qualifying result in P3, missing out on a front row start by 0.235s.
Unfortunately, the Sephora driver then experienced her first DNF in F1 ACADEMY, crashing out on Lap 2 on Saturday.

Jade Jacquet likewise recorded her personal best Qualifying performance, moving up to P9 after Zoe Florescu’s disqualification.
The Reverse Grid Race saw multiple Safety Car periods feature in an F1 ACADEMY race at Zandvoort for the first time, while the Safety Car made its fifth appearance at the Dutch circuit.
The race also marked the first occasion in the series’ history that neither of the top two drivers in the Standings scored points, as Palmowski and Felbermayr finishing in P12 and P13.