No, not Kimi, that will most likely happen next Sunday in Mexico.

Alisha Palmowski sealed the 2026 F1 Academy Championship in impressive style. The 20- year-old Red Bull-backed driver arrived at COTA with a healthy points advantage and clinched the title with three races still remaining after charging from eighth to second in the Reverse Grid Race.

Palmowski has been the standout performer all season and is a worthy champion and the second British driver to win the series after Abbi Pulling.

New Grand Prix

Plans for Formula 1’s long-awaited return to Africa took a huge step forward this month, with Formula 1 African Grand Prix officially confirmed for Rwanda under a 10-year agreement. The race is set to be held at a new purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, near Kigali, in the early 2030s, marking F1’s first visit to the African continent since the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami.

Ocon Out

One of the paddock’s most exciting young prospects, Rafael Camara will make his Formula 1 debut with Haas in 2027, replacing Esteban Ocon. The Ferrari Academy driver arrives as reigning F3 champion and current F2 title contender, forming a youthful lineup alongside Oliver Bearman.

Madrid Fail

Well, we had planned for our away Grand Prix in 2027 to be Madrid. However, the circuit needs a big improvement in layout and spectator interest before we go there. So, we’re off to Canada – the GP package is not much more than going to Spain!

Freddie

Another British talent is emerging through F3. We have followed Freddie Slater’s progress because he has been supported by Formula Escapes who we have used multiple times for F1 trips. While he just missed out on the F3 championship, he has FP1 runs in the Audi at the next two races.

Race Summary

The race was mildly tense rather than exciting. Kimi ran a near faultless race as demonstrated by just one track limit strike at a track famous for its track limit challenges. The Ferraris recovered their pace in the race which has mysteriously disappeared in qualifying. Max did Max things and wrestled a slightly troublesome Red Bull onto the podium in between Charles and Lewis, Next up were the McLarens and George in a race dominated by the top four teams.

And onto Mexico. Kimi will be a very worthy Champion and it must be tough for George. He spent three seasons with Williams doing quite a bit of impressive stuff in a poor car. He starred in Bahrain as a stand in for Lewis when he had Covid. He landed in Mercedes when they produced their worst car for years. He comfortably beat Kimi in the final year of those regs. And then when they produced the best car, he has struggled to adapt. I hope he comes back stronger in 2027 because he is world champion material.

Practice & Qualifying

The build-up to Sunday’s race at the Circuit of the Americas has been fascinating, with Ferrari looking like the team to beat through practice before Mercedes snatched pole when it mattered most.

Friday belonged largely to Charles Leclerc and Ferrari, who topped both practice sessions and appeared to have the strongest race pace around the Austin circuit. Kimi Antonelli stayed close behind for Mercedes, while Max Verstappen and Red Bull were consistently in the mix without showing their full hand.

Saturday’s final practice session was disrupted by numerous track-limits infringements. Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time ahead of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, reinforcing the feeling that Ferrari would be the benchmark heading into qualifying.

Qualifying, however, produced a surprise. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli delivered an outstanding lap to take pole position for Mercedes, beating Max Verstappen. Isack Hadjar continued his impressive season with third place for Red Bull, ahead of the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

Further back, George Russell could only manage sixth, while McLaren endured a disappointing session with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris seventh and eighth.

The Race

The race turned out to be far less dramatic at the front than many expected, as Kimi Antonelli produced a commanding drive for Mercedes, converting pole position into a dominant victory and taking another huge step towards the 2026 World Championship.

Antonelli made a clean start and quickly built a gap while those behind squabbled for position. Charles Leclerc briefly challenged Max Verstappen for second on the opening lap, with the Ferrari and Red Bull trading places while Antonelli escaped up the road. A brief Virtual Safety Car early in the race, caused by debris, did little to interrupt the Mercedes driver’s rhythm.

The key story was strategy. Antonelli started on medium tyres and committed to a one-stop race, while Verstappen and others opted for more aggressive tactics. Mercedes judged it perfectly, allowing Antonelli to stretch his opening stint and then comfortably manage the hard tyres to the finish. By the closing stages he was untouchable.

Behind him, Leclerc came alive late in the race. Ferrari’s pace improved as fuel loads dropped and the Monegasque driver eventually passed Verstappen to secure second place. Verstappen, struggling with balance and car issues, had to settle for third, although he managed to keep Lewis Hamilton at bay.

The final top five was Antonelli, Leclerc, Verstappen, Hamilton and Norris. Although Antonelli won by over 13 seconds, he did not clinch the title, as Hamilton finished fourth and George Russell eighth, meaning the championship battle rolls on to Mexico. In short: a strategic masterclass from Mercedes and a statement victory from Antonelli, who now looks almost certain to be crowned world champion in the coming weeks.