Palmowski ends season on a high

Glossop’s Queen of Speed Alisha Palmowski rounded off her F1 Academy season in style over the weekend, sealing her fifth podium of the campaign in Race 2 in Las Vegas. 

The 19-year-old bounced back superbly from a disappointing display in Singapore last month, which saw her come away empty handed for the first time this year. 

The Simmondley resident looked to have got off to a dream start in Nevada, after finishing P3 in an action-packed opening race, but was later disqualified after her Red Bull Racing car was found to have breached the series’ Sporting Regulations and Technical Regulations. 

Race 2 saw Palmowski line up in P2 thanks to a stellar performance in qualifying, just behind Campos teammate Chloe Chambers, an advantage which they both made count. 

A strong race saw the pair hold onto their positions, with Palmowski fending off attacks from championship contender Maya Weug to seal a second-place finish and end her debut campaign on a high. 

Following her stellar performance in the US, Palmowski told the Chronicle:

“Overall it was a really positive weekend in Las Vegas and I’m very pleased to have ended the year on a high. To have again qualified on the front row and bring home a 1-2 finish for the team was a great end to a challenging season. 

"The year as a whole has been a tricky one but our pace has never been in doubt, qualifying on the front row four times and bringing home five podiums. The potential we have is huge so my focus now shifts onto next season where we will be fighting for the overall championship.”

After scoring 18 points in the final round of the year, the former St Phillip Howard student finished fifth in the overall standings, just 18 points behind fellow rookie Ella Lloyd. 

The British duo are set to return to F1 Academy for their second and final year in 2026 and are likely to be battling it out for the championship, with Weug, Chambers and newly crowned champion Doriane Pin all moving on.