FEATURE RACE: Palmowski masters the wet to take record-breaking victory

Alisha Palmowski converted pole position into a second impressive victory in Montreal as the Red Bull Racing driver mastered the drizzly conditions to take the win by 10.9s.

Beating her own record for the largest winning margin, Palmowski was in a race of her own to assert her place at the top of the Drivers’ Standings. Emma Felbermayr snatched second away from Megan Bruce on the final lap, with the TAG Heuer driver completing a double podium for Campos Racing in third.

Early morning showers left the field facing a slippery and cold Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Polesitter Palmowski didn’t get the strongest launch off the line, but had a better run than Payton Westcott down to Turn 1 to hold the lead.

Bruce and Felbermayr went side-by-side in the battle for P3. The Audi driver looked to have gotten through, until Bruce got back past through Turns 3 and 4. She immediately pounced on Westcott ahead, nailing her exit out of the hairpin to move into second.

Behind them, a rapid getaway from Ella Lloyd in 16th launched the McLaren driver into the battle for points. Trying to squeeze up the inside of Lisa Billard at Turn 2, the pair made contact, spinning the #14 Gatorade car.

On Lap 4, Nina Gademan attempted a move on Alba Larsen for P6, but had to bail out at the final chicane. Repeating the move on the following lap, this time Larsen took to the run-off, with the Ferrari driver losing out to Rafaela Ferreira and Lloyd on re-entry.

Lloyd was on a charge, overtaking Ferreira for P7. The Racing Bulls driver repaid the favour to get back past at the hairpin, boxing her in and allowing Larsen to nip back past the #20 McLaren car. Going three-wide into the final chicane, Larsen once again took evasive action over the kerb.

As for Palmowski, her lead grew to five seconds by Lap 7, despite the Briton sliding about as dry patches began to appear.

In the midfield, Lloyd went off through the grass later in the lap and dropped back to P10. A lock-up for Ferreira at the Turn 10 hairpin allowed both Larsen and Natalia Granada to move ahead into seventh and eighth, leaving the Brazilian to defend from Lloyd.

Utilising the clean air, Gademan and Larsen’s battle resumed on Lap 11 with the Ferrari driver taking P6 out of Turn 2. At the tail end of the field, Rachel Robertson, Esmee Kosterman and Jade Jacquet were locked in a three-car battle for P11. The LEGO Racing driver tagged the rear of Robertson’s car, giving her a five-second time penalty, while Jacquet opted to cut Turn 13.

Westcott was feeling the pressure as Felbermayr closed in on the Mercedes driver. On Lap 14, her defence crumbled as a kick of oversteer sent the American wide over the grass at Turn 9, allowing the Audi driver through on to the podium.

However, Felbermayr wasn’t done yet as she closed in on Bruce. The Briton hit the wall out of Turn 4, opening the door for Felbermayr to throw a move down the inside of Bruce to snatch P2.

A dramatic final lap also saw leader Palmowski report an engine problem. Nevertheless, the Red Bull Racing driver was able to hold on to her second win of the season ahead of Palmowski and teammate Bruce.

Westcott finished in fourth ahead of Mathilda Paatz. Larsen had to settle for sixth, followed by Gademan, Granada and Lloyd, with Ferreira claiming the final point in P10.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Palmowski holds a 25-point lead in the Drivers’ Standings as F1 ACADEMY heads to Silverstone for the first time. Join us for Round 3 of the 2026 season from July 3-5.