F1 Academy Shanghai Qualifying Leaves Palmowski On Pole, Sparks Reverse-Grid Race
Alisha Palmowski secured her long-awaited maiden pole position in Shanghai as the f1 academy field completed a lively qualifying session that reshuffled the order for the upcoming races. The Red Bull Racing driver set a rapid time of 2: 04. 182 to lead a session marked by early leaders, a late on-track stoppage and a lap-time deletion that altered the top positions.
Palmowski Clinches First Career Pole With Fastest Time
Palmowski, starting her second year in the series, produced the session’s quickest lap — a 2: 04. 182 — to take an unassailable advantage. Ferrari’s Alba Larsen claimed second, recording her first front-row start in the championship, while Emma Felbermayr completed the top three after a late late improvement. Palmowski extended her margin to around four tenths on her final run and held on as others failed to better her benchmark.
F1 Academy Reverse Format Puts Gademan On Reverse Pole For Race 1
The session outcome has an immediate competitive consequence: Nina Gademan will start Race 1 from reverse pole after securing P8 in qualifying, the fourth time she has earned reverse pole. With the top eight qualifiers flipped for the first race, the qualifying order will be inverted, reshaping strategic approaches for the sprint and the following race. Lights for Race 1 are scheduled for 1: 45 am ET.
Key Moments: Early Leaders, Stoppage And Lap-Time Adjustments
The session opened with Aston Martin’s Mathilda Paatz jumping to the top of the timesheets early, with her teammate Payton Westcott initially tucked in behind. An Audi driver set the early benchmark with a 2: 05. 362 lap before the final runs turned the order on its head.
A brief delay at the start and a changed surface — attributed to an F1 Free Practice running before the f1 academy session — had teams and drivers focused on building tyre temperature and managing grip. Midway through the hour a stoppage occurred when Haas’ Kaylee Countryman slowed to a halt on track; she was able to rejoin, but the interruption forced the pack to complete an extra out lap with less than 10 minutes remaining, increasing pressure on final attempts.
Late in qualifying, Felbermayr improved to demote Rafaela Ferreira to fourth, while Lisa Billard moved up to fifth. A lap-time deletion affected Payton Westcott, dropping her from P4 to P6 ahead of Natalia Granada. Rounding out the top 10 were Ava Dobson and McLaren’s Ella Lloyd.
With pole and the top places decided, attention now shifts to how teams will convert qualifying positions into race strategies across the reverse-grid Race 1 and the subsequent run that follows. The qualifying session left the championship weekend with an altered tactical landscape and a rookie on the front row for the first time in this category.
Confirmed elements of the session — Palmowski’s pole lap of 2: 04. 182, Larsen’s first front-row start, Felbermayr in third, the stoppage involving Kaylee Countryman, Westcott’s lap-time deletion and Gademan’s reverse pole for Race 1 — provide the verified framework for the on-track order heading into the races. Further developments will unfold as Race 1 begins from the reversed top-eight grid.
