F1 Academy starts the 2026 season in Shanghai this weekend, and all eyes will be on which driver takes the early lead in the Drivers’ Championship. Last season came down to a battle between Maya Weug and eventual winner Doriane Pin, but this year, five drivers are favourites to win F1 Academy in 2026. Here’s who could take it:

Alisha Palmowski: The 2026 F1 Academy early favourite?

After finishing fifth last season, all eyes are going to be on Alisha Palmowski to see if she can take a step forward to win F1 Academy in 2026. The British Driver will be racing for Campos Racing, sponsored by Red Bull Racing, and will be looking to improve on her one race win and five podiums last season.

For Palmowski, the key will be consistency. While she did score 18 points in the second race at Zandvoort and Las Vegas, she didn’t score a single point in either race in Singapore, had two points in race one at Zandvoort, and none in the first race in Vegas. Before that, she recorded just nine points in the three sessions at Montreal.

Known for her speed, Palmowski set the benchmark lap time in pre-season testing this season, but her ambitious overtakes have gotten her into trouble in the past. If she can overcome this in 2026, the title will be hers.

Nina Gademan: The Challenger

Where last year it was a British driver and French driver dueling for the title, this season, it’s a British driver and a Dutch driver, with Nina Gademan the main rival for the trophy in F1 Academy in 2026. Last season, she finished just behind Palmowski in sixth in the series, but her results were as much bad luck as they were bad results. Mechanical failures forced her retirement in Shanghai and a safety car restart ruined her race at Montreal. She won her home race at Zandvoort in race one, but finished 17 points behind Palmowski when all was said and done.

If the luck is with her, Gademan could challenge Palmowski for the title in F1 Academy this year. The Dutch driver will be with MP Motorsport, supported by Alpine this season. MP is the team that Maya Weug raced with last season, which should give her more resources and a better chance to take home the title.

Ella Lloyd: The underdog

The former alpine skier turned racer, Ella Lloyd has had a phenomenal start to her motorsports career, starting racing in cars without a karting career in just 2022. Last season, she finished as the Rookie of the Year, earning five podiums and winning the first race in Jeddah. She finished ahead of both Gademan and Palmowski with an impressive 109 points and fourth overall.

The challenge with Lloyd is that while the McLaren driver finished high on the points, she has done so despite starting lower on the grid. Her qualifying times have been slower than those of others on the grid, leaving her having to make up more ground during the race. Without the same level of experience as Palmowski and Gademan also puts her at a bit of a disadvantage going into her second season. If she can overcome this, the title can absolutely be hers, but the risks with Lloyd are greater.

Alba Larsen: The youngster

The youngest driver in F1 Academy in 2025, Alba Larsen, finished just four points behind Gademan for seventh in the series, but what was more impressive was that she seemed to get stronger as the season went on. The 17-year-old last season scored seven top-five finishes, but unfortunately, she is still looking for her first podium in F1 Academy in 2026, having finished with a P4 finish in Shanghai.

Larsen will join Gademan at MP Motorsport, but will be backed by Ferrari, taking Maya Weug’s spot on the team. If she can continue her consistency and take a step forward, Larsen should be in the conversation for the F1 Academy title in 2026.

Emma Felbermayr: The speedster

Felbermayr may have finished tenth in the 2025 F1 Academy standings, but don’t let that dissuade you. She was one of the fastest drivers in qualifying last year, finishing top-six six times. She also picked up her first race win at Montreal in Race 2. But the challenge is that her pace doesn’t always end in success. She finished with no points eight times last year, including both sessions in Jeddah, Zandvoort, and Vegas.

Felbermayr has among the most experience in racing, having started karting at the age of seven. She has a racing pedigree as well, with her father, grandfather, and brother all having competed in Le Mans.

Backed by Audi and driving with Lloyd for Rodin Motorsport, Felbermayr will be looking to even out her results this year. Her pace and potential are there for her to win the 2026 F1 Academy title, but the challenge is putting it all together.

Who wins the 2026 F1 Academy title?

Palmowski, Gademan, and Lloyd all have a good chance of taking home the F1 Academy Championship in 2026. Palmowski has the strength, Lloyd has the results, and Gademan has the potential, with Larsen and Felbermayr a bit further back as the season opens.

Going into this season, I’m going to bet that Ella Lloyd with McLaren takes home the F1 Academy Championship in 2026. Results matter, and finishing in fourth last season gives her a fantastic opportunity to win it all. She’s shown that despite not having as much experience, she’s a phenomenal athlete with the smarts and bravery to push the car up the grid. This is her year.

The opportunity of winning F1 Academy in 2026 is incalculable, with the driver taking home the championship earning a fully funded seat in a higher Formula next season. Each driver will be doing everything in their power to take home the championship this season.