It quietly kicked off alongside the Chinese Grand Prix, and if you missed it — don't make that mistake again.
Shanghai — Round 1 Review
Nina Gademan dominated the opening race of the 2026 F1 Academy season, leading every lap from reverse grid pole to take a thoroughly deserved victory. The Alpine driver kept a steady lead throughout, survived a Safety Car with four laps remaining, and crossed the line comfortably. Behind her, rookie Natalia Granada was brilliant in just her first ever single-seater race, finishing second. Emma Felbermayr completed the podium for Audi in third after two sharp late overtakes.
Race 2 on Sunday told a different story. Ferrari's Alba Larsen led and looked set for a comfortable win until a Safety Car bunched the field, a snap of oversteer at the restart sent her into the gravel, and Felbermayr nipped through to take victory. Drama, chaos, heartbreak — classic F1 Academy. Felbermayr leads the championship after round one.
If you haven't watched this series before, genuinely give it a go. Last year produced some cracking races — Abbi Pulling won the championship convincingly and earned herself a GB3 drive as a result. The standard is rising and the racing is often more entertaining than the main event!
Montreal — Round 2 Preview
Next stop is the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, running alongside the Canadian Grand Prix — 22nd–24th May. Montreal has a history of producing chaotic, incident-filled races, and a street circuit with walls, variable grip levels and the ever-present threat of a Safety Car should make for another brilliant F1 Academy weekend.
Felbermayr leads the championship but Palmowski, who took pole in Shanghai and finished second overall across the weekend, will be pushing hard. Gademan knows she has race-winning pace too. It's tight at the top — exactly as it should be.
Worth your time. Set a reminder.