STANDOUT STARS: Who earned their spurs at Round 5 in Austin?

Alisha Palmowski wrote her name into the F1 ACADEMY history book by becoming the series’ fourth Champion, but that wasn’t the only noteworthy moment on our return to Austin.

Three exhilarating races at the Circuit of the Americas gave us no shortage of success stories, so here’s our take on who should be celebrating after Round 5.

ALISHA PALMOWSKI

There could only be one driver at the top of this list, as our newly crowned Champion delivered the 2026 title in an impressive fashion. Palmowski has proved time and time again this season that she can deliver wherever she goes — street circuits or purpose-built tracks, well-known or completely new venues — and this weekend was no exception.

Despite the pressure of knowing she could wrap up the title one round early, the Red Bull Racing driver maintained that steady composure that ultimately carried her to glory. Losing the Opening Race lead off the line, Palmowski fought back and regained it later in the first lap and survived two Safety Car restarts to take her fifth win of 2026.

Reverse Grid Races had been thought to be the only chink in her armour — having scored only eight of her 156 points in them — until the Briton firmly disproved them. Steadily climbing up the order, Palmowski’s P2 finish was more than enough to take the title with three races to go.

Even with the job done, the Feature Race demonstrated that Palmowski’s fight isn’t over yet as she looks to help Campos Racing secure the Teams’ title. A first DNF of the year after contact from Larsen wasn’t how she wanted to end the weekend, but the 20-year-old can now have the chance to soak in the feeling of being the Champion before her final F1 ACADEMY swansong in Las Vegas.

ALBA LARSEN

Alba Larsen’s upturn in results proved to be no fluke as the Ferrari driver added two more podiums to her tally in Austin, including that all-important maiden win.

The Dane’s Qualifying results weren’t noteworthy, going fifth-fastest on her fastest and second-fastest laps. However, Larsen’s race pace was where she really came alive. A charge up to third in the Opening Race was just a sign of things to come, despite a tense squabble for position with teammate Nina Gademan.

Emerging from a chaotic first lap with the lead of the Reverse Grid Race, Larsen looked in full command as she kept herself well out of Palmowski’s clutches to secure her long-awaited victory. She seemed set to have another taste of silverware in the Feature Race, until contact with Palmowski took the pair out of the race and Larsen now heads to Austin with a carryover grid penalty for the incident.

JADE JACQUET

Jade Jacquet has spent much of her rookie season playing catch up, but in Austin, the Williams driver showed the mettle needed to fight at the front end of the field.

The only full-time driver without a point to her name was a mark Jacquet was determined to wipe away. Her French F4 win over the break bolstered her confidence heading into Round 5, as she qualified inside the top eight for the first time.

A composed performance in the Opening Race saw the 16-year-old quietly claim her first point in P10. Lining up on the front row, Jacquet looked to have a real shot at a podium until contact from Ferreira on the opening lap sent her hopes crashing down.

Shaking off the disappointment, Jacquet valiantly defended against Felbermayr. This defence would pay off handsomely after Larsen and Palmowski’s double DNF, elevating the Williams driver to her best finish yet in P4. With the burden of missing points finally put to rest, Jacquet now needs to focus on taking what she did well to another unfamiliar setting in Las Vegas.

LISA BILLARD

For most of the season, a podium for Lisa Billard felt like it could and should have been on the cards. Austin seemed to bring about the best in the Gatorade driver, who qualified sixth overall and was one of the few drivers to improve on her second-fastest lap, moving up to fourth.

Although unable to contend for the podium in the Opening Race, a solid P4 finish brought home some welcome points. The Reverse Grid Race would be where she yielded the fruits of her labours, as she pulled off a strong but sensible defence of second.

Despite losing out to Palmowski eventually, the 17-year-old seemed to manage the “stressful” race with an assurance that bodes well for the final weekend to come. Crucially, a P6 finish in the Feature Race completed her first streak of three races inside the points and moves Billard into the top 10 in the Standings.

NINA GADEMAN

This wasn’t Nina Gademan’s first F1 ACADEMY win or one that had the special feeling of being achieved at a home race, but arguably it’s the absence of those that make her Feature Race victory all the more poignant.

The Alpine driver seemed to come alive in Austin, both on and off the track. Qualifying third twice marked her best one-lap performances of the season and Gademan took full advantage of that in the races.

Ultimately coming out on top in the battle with Larsen for P2 in the Opening Race and a P5 finish on Saturday added valuable points to her quest to move up to second in the Standings. In the Feature Race, Gademan executed a perfect drive. Snatching the lead around the outside of Turn 1, the 23-year-old refused to pay any mind to those behind her and was unfussed by the one-lap sprint to the line.

Experiencing all the joy and passion of racing to its fullest, you could see almost another side of Gademan come alive on Grand Prix Sunday. Hopefully, she can keep that feeling alive as it could be the key to driving her to the Vice-Champion honours next time out.