FEATURE RACE: Palmowski brings it home at Silverstone for third win of 2026

Alisha Palmowski executed a dream drive on home soil in the Feature Race at Silverstone, claiming her third win of the 2026 F1 ACADEMY season and extending her lead in the Drivers’ Standings.

Lining up in second, the Red Bull Racing driver got the better of Chiara Bättig at the start and kept herself out of her clutches. The pair drove off from the rest of the field, with Bättig taking the first-ever podium by a Wild Card driver in P2.

Emma Felbermayr put in a fantastic performance, climbing from eighth to back-to-back podiums at the British circuit in third.

Greeted by the cooler morning conditions, Palmowski beat polesitter Bättig off the line to snatch the lead by the apex of Turn 1. However, it was disastrous start for third-placed Lisa Billard who stalled at lights out.

By contrast, Lloyd was on a charge from sixth on the grid, dispatching Rachel Robertson for third on the opening lap. She was joined by Emma Felbermayr, who found her own way past the PUMA driver at Turn 9 and gained four places.

The Safety Car called was called out going into Lap 2 after contact between Rafaela Ferreira and Ella Stevens over the start-finish line, with both forced to retire with damage.

Palmowski left it late on the restart on Lap 5, flooring it into the final corners at Club. Bättig was wise to her plans, putting space between the pair and Lloyd behind. The McLaren driver then came under attack from Felbermayr. Utilising the tow into Copse, the Rodin Motorsport teammates went side-by-side as Lloyd was squeezed wide over the run off. With the two distracted by their own battle, Nina Gademan took advantage to squeeze past the Briton for fourth.

There was a battle at the tail end of the points, with sixth-place Ava Dobson almost going four-wide with Robertson, Natalia Granada and Alba Larsen. The Ferrari driver managed to find her way through on the #19 Sephora car for P8, but Granada repaid the favour one lap later, retaking the position at Turn 6.

Palmowski and Bättig continued to disappear up the road, as the leading duo moved three seconds clear of Felbermayr. Larsen’s progress from 13th on the grid unravelled, as the Dane brushed over the grass and dropped back to P11 ahead of Esmee Kosterman.

Her MP Motorsport teammate Kosterman was then handed a five-second penalty for a Safety Car infringement, putting her out of the fight for points.

On to Lap 9, Westcott tried to send it around the outside of Bruce but went wide, allowing the TAG Heuer driver back through into ninth. However, the Briton was suffering from a damaged front nose after hitting the back of Larsen’s car during the Safety Car restart.

Palmowski’s hold over the lead was unshakeable as the Briton took the chequered flag six tenths ahead of Bättig, who achieved Hitech’s first F1 ACADEMY podium. The pair finished a further 8.5s up the road from Felbermayr.

Gademan closed in on the Audi driver in the latter stages but had to be content with fourth ahead of Lloyd. Robertson rounded out her home weekend with a second points finish in P6 ahead of Granada, Dobson, Bruce and Larsen, who completed the top 10.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Taking the victory and the bonus point for the fastest lap, Palmowski leaves Silverstone with a 30-point lead over Felbermayr. The field will enjoy the summer break before returning to the familiar Circuit Zandvoort for Round 4 on August 21-23.