STANDOUT STARS: Who made their mark in Montreal?

Alisha Palmowski wrote her name into the F1 ACADEMY history books twice in Montreal, with her Campos Racing team enjoying a weekend to remember.

As newcomers fought their way to the front of the field and secured their first pieces of silverware in Round 2, let’s take a look at who’ll be celebrating their trip to the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

ALISHA PALMOWSKI

You can’t deny that it was the Alisha Palmowski show in Montreal. The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve heralded mixed emotions for the Red Bull Racing driver, who although rapid there last year, lost out on potential podiums with two opening lap incidents.

Determined to banish that disappointment from the outset, Palmowski outclassed the field in Qualifying, recording repeated personal bests to secure both pole positions by 0.390s and 0.421s. She went on to dominate the Opening Race by 10.119s, setting a new record for the series’ biggest winning margin.

Her most impressive performance would come on Grand Prix Sunday. Mastering the drizzly conditions, Palmowski smashed her own record, taking victory by 10.955s. Pushing 25 points clear over Emma Felbermayr at the top of the Drivers’ Standings, the Briton heads to home soil at Silverstone knowing the field will fear exactly what she’s capable of.

MEGAN BRUCE

Megan Bruce was in the zone on her debut at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, with the TAG Heuer driver collecting her first pieces of F1 ACADEMY silverware and breaking into the top three as the leading rookie in the Standings.

Qualifying third and second, she held her nerve in the battle with fellow rookie Payton Westcott to hold on to P2 in the Opening Race. The afternoon’s running was less successful as the Briton tangled with teammate Palmowski in the Reverse Grid Race, which although a racing incident, did cost both a points finish.

She coped well with the weather in the Feature Race, dispatching Westcott on the opening lap. However, Bruce clipped the wall on the last lap, allowing Felbermayr to wrestle P2 away from her. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old exceeded her own expectations and demonstrated a significant progression that should bode well for her return to the more familiar Silverstone Circuit.

MATHILDA PAATZ

Mathilda Paatz came full circle one year on from her F1 ACADEMY debut in Montreal. The Aston Martin driver played the game expertly across the weekend, becoming the only driver to claim top-five finishes in all three races.

Going fifth-fastest on both her fastest and second-best Qualifying laps primed her well for what was to come. Biding her time in the Opening Race, Paatz’s caution paid off as she made the most of a mistake by teammate Westcott to take her maiden podium in third.

Already riding a high, the Reverse Grid Race proved even more prosperous for Paatz. Sweeping past Kaylee Countryman for P2 in the latter stages, she was in the perfect position to inherit the win after Rafaela Ferreira was handed a five-second penalty for a false start. Understandably emotional, Saturday marked both hers and Aston Martin’s first visit to the podium.

The Feature Race was a more understated drive, as the German racer finished fifth. After an underwhelming season opener in Shanghai, Paatz can be proud of what she delivered — leaving Canada with 35 points, tied for the second-biggest points haul with Bruce.

KAYLEE COUNTRYMAN

Kaylee Countryman delivered an encouraging weekend for ART Grand Prix with the American taking her first trip to the podium.

Outpacing her teammates in Qualifying, a solid performance in the Opening Race was rewarded with her maiden points in P7. The Reverse Grid Race brought even greater highs. While she lost two places to Paatz and Alba Larsen and the eventual win, she held on to her first top-three finish in the series — which was raised to second following Larsen’s post-race penalty.

Her achievement was only ART’s fifth podium since the start of 2024 and their first rookie podium since the inaugural season. Countryman’s performance showed potential, although some hurdles remain, with her lack of experience of a front row standing start and her wet weather pace in the Feature Race leaving room for improvement.

CAMPOS RACING

Campos Racing seemed to unlock a new level of pace in Montreal that few of their rivals could come close to matching.

Palmowski was supreme in both the Opening Race and the Feature Race, while Bruce affirmed her place in the Rookie of the Year battle with two podium finishes. Ferreira also added a fourth-place result in the first of the three races, yet even more could have been on the cards for the Spanish squad.

Ferreira controlled the Reverse Grid Race, leading every lap until a false start penalty dropped her from P1 to P8, after post-race penalties were applied elsewhere. The unlucky timing of a late Safety Car denied the Racing Bulls driver the chance to build a buffer and mitigate the damage, with the team’s disappointment compounded by the fact that the Safety Car was triggered by Palmowski and Bruce’s incident in the battle for P6.

Despite missing out 14 points in the second race, Campos’ 102-point haul is the highest ever recorded by a team in the series’ history — with 56 points achieved in the Opening Race alone. Their 54-point advantage over PREMA Racing is more than double the largest lead previously seen after five races, when Rodin Motorsport were 22 points clear of PREMA following Barcelona Race 1 in 2024.

With two of their drivers gearing up for their home event at Silverstone, Campos have put themselves on firm footing, but know they can’t afford to get complacent as they chase their first F1 ACADEMY titles.