Shanghai Reverse Grid Race

Date
Sat 14th March 2026 (UTC)
Sat 14th March 2026 (Local)

Timestamp
2026-03-14T05:45:00

Time

05:45:00 UTC (13:45:00 Local)

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League
F1 Academy

Season
2026

Round
1

Status
Match Finished

Location
Shanghai International Circuit

Video Highlights

Play on YouTube

Event Statistics

Description

The opening race of the 2026 F1 Academy season at the Shanghai International Circuit features the series’ signature reverse-grid format, placing the top eight qualifiers in inverted order. The strategic narrative centers on Nina Gademan, who starts on pole position and looks to utilize her experience to control the tempo from the front. The primary hurdle for the field is the high tire degradation characteristic of the abrasive Shanghai surface, which makes the "mechanical necessity" of tire management a decisive factor over the 13-lap sprint. Tactically, drivers starting further back, such as Friday's polesitter Alisha Palmowski in P8, must balance aggressive overtaking into the Turn 14 hairpin with the need to preserve their rubber for a late-race charge.

The headline story focuses on the debut of the rookie class, particularly Natalia Granada, who starts on the front row alongside Gademan. Strategically, the race is a test of composure; with no mandatory pit stops and a high likelihood of early-lap skirmishes in the tight opening complex, staying out of trouble is as vital as raw pace. For the established names, the goal is to secure a podium finish and bank early championship points before the full-grid Race 2 on Sunday.

Reports

Result List

01	Nina Gademan	28:49.109
02	Natalia Granada	+0.624
03	Emma Felbermayr	+2.553

Result Description

1 /N. Gademan /MP Motorsport /28:49.109
2 /N. Granada /PREMA Racing /28:49.733
3 /E. Felbermayr /Rodin Motorsport /28:51.662
4 /R. Ferreira /Campos Racing /28:52.176
5 /A. Palmowski /Campos Racing /28:52.551
6 /P. Westcott /PREMA Racing /28:52.943
7 /E. Lloyd /Rodin Motorsport /28:53.837
8 /L. Billard /ART Grand Prix /28:54.283
9 /A. Dobson /Hitech /28:55.020
10 /R. Robertson /Hitech /28:55.796
11 /E. Stevens /Rodin Motorsport /28:57.135
12 /M. Bruce /Campos Racing /28:58.122
13 /J. Jacquet /ART Grand Prix /28:58.746
14 /M. Paatz /PREMA Racing /28:59.629
15 /E. Kosterman /MP Motorsport /29:03.122
16 /K. Countryman /ART Grand Prix /29:03.788
17 /W. Shi (WCD) /Hitech /29:09.922
18 /A. Larsen /MP Motorsport /29:40.192

Nina Gademan delivered a masterclass in defensive driving to secure a flawless lights-to-flag victory in the season opener. The strategic narrative of the race was defined by Gademan’s ability to break the DRS tow early, establishing a steady one-second buffer over the chasing pack. The primary hurdle for the field appeared on Lap 7, when a collision between Alba Larsen and Emma Felbermayr at Turn 3 left Larsen with a broken front wing and triggered a Safety Car period. Despite the restart bunching the field, Gademan remained untroubled and cruised to the finish line to take her second career win in the series.

The podium was completed by two standout performances: rookie Natalia Granada secured a mature P2 in her first-ever single-seater race, while Emma Felbermayr executed two daring late-race overtakes on the final lap to snatch P3, marking a historic first podium for the Audi-backed entry. Rafaela Ferreira finished a career-best fourth, just ahead of Alisha Palmowski, who successfully climbed from P8 to P5. Further down the points, Payton Westcott, Ella Lloyd, and Lisa Billard rounded out the top eight, while hometown favorite Shi Wei finished 17th following early contact.

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