Palmowski wraps up second place in GB4 Championship

Glossop speed demon Alisha Palmowski secured a second placed finish in the overall GB4 Championship standings over the weekend, finishing the season in style with two podiums. 

She began round seven at Brands Hatch with a fourth-place finish in race one, before racing to a third-place finish in her second outing. 

The 18-year-old then rounded off the weekend in style, finishing as runner up in her final race of the season and wrapping up a second placed finish overall.  

Having been 35 points behind leader Linus Granfors prior to the final weekend, it was always going to be a tough ask to overtake the Swedish star, and this proved to be the case. 

Despite falling just short, it has been a stellar debut season for Palmowski, which she will look back on with fondness in years to come. 

She appeared on the podium on 11 occasions throughout the campaign, more than anyone else on the field, and finished as the highest placed female overall. 

She has helped to pave the way for young female drivers and show that there is a pathway for them to succeed in what is a largely made dominated industry. 

“I believe when you put that helmet on, we’re all the same and the car doesn’t have a gender,” Palmowski told the Chronicle. 

“But at the same time, I’ve had so many messages from young girls, some as young as six or seven, who have seen me racing and said that I’ve inspired them- that's huge for me. 

“The number of girls taking up motorsport seems to be rising year on year and if I’ve played even a minor role in that, then that’s just amazing.” 

Looking ahead to next season, Palmowski has some exciting plans, as she looks to make the next step in her career: 

“Hopefully it will be a really exciting year for me next year, I’m hoping for a place in the F1 Academy series. I’ve had some interest from a few teams, so we’ll just have to wait and see. 

“It would be a big step up for me but a fantastic opportunity nonetheless- I'm just looking forward to seeing what the future holds.” 

Should Palmowski secure a contract with one of the F1 teams for next year’s F1 Academy series, she will have a whopping €30,000 to put towards the costs, after she was gifted the sum by MotorSport Vision as a prize for finishing as the lead female driver in this year’s GB4 Championship.