BÄTTIG MAKES HISTORY AS PALMOWSKI SHINES AT SILVERSTONE IN F1 ACADEMY
The F1 Academy weekend at Silverstone delivered a historic result, with Wild Card driver Chiara Bättig making an immediate impact on her debut. The 16-year-old Swiss driver became the first Wild Card competitor to take pole position and the first to finish on the podium in F1 Academy history.
Bättig impressed from the first session, topping Free Practice with a strong lap of 2:02.640. She finished ahead of Red Bull Racing driver Alisha Palmowski and Alpine driver Nina Gademan, showing great speed around the famous British circuit.
In qualifying, Bättig continued her strong form. She took control of the session in the second half and set a new benchmark with a 2:01.775 lap. Palmowski pushed hard but had to settle for second, while Lisa Billard achieved one of her best qualifying results by taking third place.
The Sprint Race was won by Emma Felbermayr, who controlled the race from start to finish. Starting from pole, the Audi driver built a comfortable gap and secured her second victory of the season. Nina Gademan finished second, while Ella Lloyd completed the podium at her home event.
Alisha Palmowski recovered well during the Sprint Race, moving up to fifth after starting lower on the grid. Bättig also scored points, finishing eighth and setting the fastest lap.
The Feature Race brought another strong performance from Palmowski. Starting second, the Red Bull Racing driver made a perfect start and passed Bättig into Turn 1 to take the lead. She controlled the race and claimed her third victory of the 2026 season, increasing her advantage in the championship standings.
Bättig finished second and made history as the first Wild Card driver to achieve an F1 Academy podium. Despite losing the lead at the start, she stayed close to Palmowski and showed impressive pace throughout the race.
Emma Felbermayr completed the podium after a great recovery drive from eighth on the grid. The Austrian driver gained several positions and finished third, securing another strong result at Silverstone.
The race also featured a Safety Car period after contact between Rafaela Ferreira and Ella Stevens forced both drivers to retire. After the restart, Palmowski managed the pace perfectly while battles continued throughout the field.
Nina Gademan finished fourth, ahead of Ella Lloyd, Rachel Robertson, Natalia Granada, Ava Dobson, Megan Bruce, and Alba Larsen, who completed the top ten.
Overall, the Silverstone weekend belonged to Palmowski and Bättig. Palmowski strengthened her championship lead with another victory, while Bättig announced herself as one of the biggest surprises of the season with pole position and a historic podium on her F1 Academy debut.
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