Palmowski converts pole into dominant Opening Race win at Montreal

Alisha Palmowski claimed the first win of the F1 Academy race weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, crossing the line ahead of Megan Bruce and Mathilda Paatz to complete a commanding weekend performance for the Red Bull Racing driver.

Qualifying Set the Tone

Rookies Payton Westcott and Megan Bruce impressed on their debut at the Montreal circuit, completing the top three in qualifying. Westcott secured her first Feature Race front-row start, while Campos Racing locked out the Opening Race front row through Palmowski and Bruce's combined efforts.

Race Day: Control from the Start

At the front, Palmowski made a clean start and immediately set about asserting her authority. She registered the fastest lap of the race on Lap 3 with a 1:40.834, illustrating her pace advantage over the chasing pack.

Felbermayr recovered impressively from her early setback and had clawed her way back to 13th by Lap 4. Further down the order, Lisa Billard was forced into the pits after sustaining front wing damage in a midfield battle, while McLaren Academy duo Ella Lloyd and Ella Stevens engaged in a close tussle over ninth place — Lloyd ultimately emerging ahead.

A separate incident between Esmee Kostermann and Dobson left Kostermann with a rear-left puncture, sending her into the pits on Lap 6.

Midfield Drama as Gaps Form

By the halfway point, the race had settled into a more structured rhythm, though the midfield battles continued to deliver intrigue. Westcott, who had been holding third, received a five-second time penalty after briefly cutting across the grass, which ultimately dropped her to sixth. Kostermann also collected a penalty during the race.

On Lap 10, a battle for seventh erupted between Kaylee Countryman and Nina Gademan, with Gademan coming out on top. Ahead, Mathilda Paatz moved into podium contention behind Bruce following Westcott's slide down the order.

Out front, Palmowski was in a race of her own. By Lap 11, she had extended her advantage to almost eight seconds — a margin that left the outcome beyond doubt. Westcott's race came to a premature end on Lap 13 when she retired with significant damage.

The contest remained remarkably clean throughout, with no Safety Car interruptions to disturb Palmowski's rhythm. She briefly ran over a piece of carbon fibre near the final corner in the closing stages but avoided any damage, going on to take the chequered flag with a winning margin of ten seconds over Bruce.

Paatz completed the podium in third.

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For a full breakdown of what was expected heading into this weekend at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, including the key title storylines and rookie watch, see our F1 Academy Montreal round preview.