Emma Felbermayr wins Shanghai race 2, secures breakthrough victory for Audi and Rodin Motorsport.
Next Round: Grand Prix of Canada, Montreal, Canada. 22-24 May
R:1 RACE #2 RESULTS
FULL RESULTS | WATCH BROADCAST
| POS. | NO. | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME/GAP | LAPS | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | E. Felbermayr | Audi (Rodin Motorsport) | 29:19.520 | 13 | 8 |
| 2 | 21 | A. Palmowski | Red Bull (Campos Racing) | +0.252 | 13 | 7 |
| 3 | 9 | P. Westcott | TAG Heuer (Prema Racing) | +0.872 | 13 | 6 |
| 4 | 3 | N. Gademan | Alpine (MP Motorsport) | +2.912 | 13 | 5 |
| 5 | 20 | E. Lloyd | McLaren (Rodin Motorsport) | +3.803 | 13 | 4 |
| 6 | 18 | R. Ferreira | Mercedes (Campos Racing) | +4.842 | 13 | 3 |
| 7 | 14 | L. Billard | Aston Martin (ART Grand Prix) | +5.343 | 13 | 2 |
| 8 | 12 | A. Larsen | Ferrari (MP Motorsport | +5.818 | 13 | 1 |
| 9 | 4 | M. Bruce | TAG Heuer (Campos Racing) | +6.554 | 13 | 0 |
| 10 | 55 | A. Dobson | American Express (Hitech) | +7.378 | 13 | 0 |
DRIVER STANDINGS (TOP 10)
| POS. | DRIVER | NATIONALITY | TEAM | PTS. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emma Felbermayr | 🇦🇹 AU | Audi (Rodin Motorsport) | 31 |
| 2 | Alicia Palmowski | 🇬🇧 GBR | Red Bull (Campos Racing) | 25 |
| 3 | Nina Gademan | 🇫🇷 FR | Alpine (MP Motorsport) | 22 |
| 4 | Payton Westcott | 🇺🇸 USA | TAG Heuer (Prema Racing) | 18 |
| 5 | Rafaela Ferreira | 🇧🇷 BRA | Mercedes (Campos Racing) | 13 |
| 6 | Ella Lloyd | 🇬🇧 GBR | McLaren (Rodin Motorsport) | 13 |
| 7 | Natalia Granada | 🇪🇸 ES | Sephora (Prema Racing) | 8 |
| 8 | Lisa Billard | 🇫🇷 FR | Aston Martin (ART Grand Prix) | 7 |
| 9 | Alba Larsen | 🇩🇰 DEN | Ferrari (MP Motosport) | 4 |
| 10 | Megan Bruce | 🇬🇧 GBR | TAG Heuer (Campos Racing) | 2 |
TEAM STANDINGS
| POS. | TEAM | PTS. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rodin Motorsport (Audi + McLaren + McLaren Oxagon) | 44 |
| 2 | Campos Racing (Aston Martin + Racing Bulls + Red Bull + TAG Heur) | 40 |
| 3 | MP Motorsport (Alpine + Ferrari + Lego) | 26 |
| 4 | Prema (Mercedes + Sephora) | 26 |
| 5 | ART Grand Prix (Gatorade + Haas + Williams) | 7 |
| 6 | Hitech (Juss Sports + American Express + Puma) | 1 |
R:1 RACE #2 SUMMARY
Audi-supported Rodin Motorsport driver Emma Felbermayr capped a standout opening round of the 2026 F1 Academy season in Shanghai by converting a third-place grid start into a decisive Race 2 victory, securing her second podium of the weekend and establishing herself as an early contender in the championship fight.
Felbermayr launched well from P3, joining Ferrari junior Alba Larsen in overtaking polesitter Alisha Palmowski during the opening sequence of corners. Larsen initially controlled the race from the front while Felbermayr settled into second, managing pressure from Palmowski and Mercedes driver Payton Westcott in the early stages.
The complexion of the race changed midway through when the Safety Car was deployed following a collision between Esmee Kosterman and Jade Jacquet, compressing the field and eliminating Larsen’s lead. On the restart, the Ferrari driver suffered a snap of oversteer exiting the final corner, running wide over the gravel and dropping down the order.
Felbermayr capitalized immediately, moving into the lead and maintaining control through the closing laps despite sustained pressure from Palmowski behind.
The Austrian driver held her nerve in a tight sprint to the finish, crossing the line just two-tenths of a second ahead of Palmowski, with Westcott completing the podium in third.
The win capped a remarkably consistent weekend for Felbermayr and the Audi-supported Rodin team. After climbing from sixth to third in Saturday’s reverse-grid race, Felbermayr followed up with a composed drive to victory, delivering two clean races and maximizing points in the opening round of the season.
Felbermayr’s race craft was particularly evident in the early laps, where she successfully defended second place under heavy pressure from Palmowski before positioning herself to capitalize on Larsen’s mistake after the restart. The result rewarded a strategy centered on strong starts, consistent pace and disciplined race management.
The victory also places Felbermayr six points clear at the top of the championship standings, reinforcing her emergence as a serious title contender in her second season in the series. Having experienced an inconsistent campaign the previous year, the Austrian driver entered 2026 determined to convert pace into results.
Behind the podium finishers, Nina Gademan finished fourth for Alpine, followed by Rodin Motorsport teammate Ella Lloyd in fifth after a strong battle in the midfield that included the fastest lap of the race earlier in the contest. Rafaela Ferreira, Lisa Billard, and Alba Larsen rounded out the remaining points positions.
For Audi, the Shanghai weekend represented a milestone moment across multiple fronts. With the brand making its Formula 1 debut in 2026, Felbermayr’s performance in F1 Academy added another headline result, delivering Audi’s first victory and multiple podiums during a Grand Prix weekend.
With the opening round complete, Felbermayr and the Rodin Motorsport program now head into the next stage of the season carrying early momentum and the championship lead. The F1 Academy series will resume May 22–24 at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, after the scheduled Jeddah round was postponed.
DRIVER QUOTES
Emma Felbermayr, Car #5
Race #2: 1st
“Having two clean races without any risk – that’s exactly what I wanted the weekend to be, extracting the most amount of points possible,” she said. “Yesterday we had quite a good one going from P6 to P3, and today P3 to P1 with a good start, a good restart. It was just good!”
“Just have smooth and clean races again – that’s the goal for the whole season. I don’t expect every race to be as it was here but I’ll try to be as prepared as here and to give my best.”
PHOTO GALLERY
