F1 ACADEMY heads to Silverstone: what to expect from round 3

F1 ACADEMY arrives at Silverstone this weekend for one of the most significant stops of its 2026 season, as the series makes its first appearance at the circuit that hosted the first-ever Formula 1 World Championship race. Round 3 also marks the halfway point of the campaign, raising the competitive stakes at a venue built to expose both confidence and precision.

Palmowski brings momentum to home soil

Alisha Palmowski arrives as the driver everyone is chasing. The Red Bull Racing driver became the first repeat winner of 2026 in Montreal, twice setting new benchmarks for the series’ most dominant victory. Her Feature Race win came by 10.955s, despite damp conditions, and she now holds a 25-point lead over Emma Felbermayr.

That advantage is significant: effectively a Feature Race win-sized buffer over the Audi driver. Palmowski also knows Silverstone well, and Campos Racing arrive with serious momentum. The team’s 54-point lead over PREMA Racing in the Teams’ Standings is the largest halfway advantage across the four seasons so far.

Lloyd needs a turning point

For Ella Lloyd, Silverstone looks increasingly like a decisive weekend. Last year’s top rookie began 2026 as an early title contender, but the McLaren driver sits eighth and is still searching for her first silverware of the season.

There is reason for optimism. Lloyd showed strong pace in in-season testing at Silverstone, recording three top-three times and the fastest overall lap across the two days with a 2:01.568. After damage in Montreal Qualifying forced her into recovery mode, she gained 21 places across three races. But with a 55-point deficit to Palmowski, recovery drives are no longer enough.

Can Bättig make Wild Card history?

Chiara Bättig’s debut in the #6 Wella Professionals Wild Card car adds another major storyline. The 16-year-old arrives with strong credentials, including three Swiss Karting Championship titles in OK Junior, runner-up status in the 2025 Champions of the Future Academy Program International Series, points in the F4 Saudi Arabian Championship, and a maiden podium in the Formula Winter Series.

Now racing with Hitech in British F4, Bättig also has recent Silverstone form, having finished third there in May. As covered in our report on Bättig’s F1 ACADEMY Silverstone Wild Card debut, the question is whether she can go beyond Nina Gademan’s best Wild Card result of P4 and put the car on the podium for the first time.