PREVIEW: Sensational Las Vegas hosts F1 Academy season finale
F1 Academy returns later this month (November 19-21) for the final round of the season, as drivers take to the spectacular streets of Las Vegas for the second time. Taking on the high-speed, iconic track with plenty of points still on the table.
Round 4 of the 2026 F1 Academy season saw the 2026 drivers head to the iconic Zandvoort Circuit for the fourth and final time, with Romanian driver Zoe Florescu joining as the wild card. Payton Westcott took her maiden win in the series in the Reverse Grid Race, while Alisha Palmowski took her fourth victory of the season in the Feature Race.
Round 5 took place in Austin and saw Palmowski take the Drivers' Standings after the Reverse Grid Race. Austin's race weekend held three races and saw three separate winners. Palmowski took the Opening Race win, Alba Larsen won the Reverse Grid Race and Nina Gademan took her first Feature Race victory. Jade Jacquet scored her first points of the season with a tenth-place finish and a fourth-place finish.
This weekend, keep an eye on Gademan, Emma Felbermayr, Westcott, and Natalia Granada, who will all battle for second and third place, with top rookie honours for Westcott and Granada.
So let's have a look at the drivers, the race weekend format, and what to expect from Las Vegas.
Austin Recap
Alisha Palmowski, Payton Westcott, Alba Larsen, Nina Gademan and Jade Jacquet were the weekend's standout performers. Jacquet scored her first points of the season with a fourth-place finish in the Feature Race and a tenth-place finish in the Opening Race.
Palmowski increased her lead and took another race win before becoming the 2026 F1 Academy Champion. Larsen took her maiden race win in the Reverse Grid Race and Gademan took her first Feature Race victory.
Who is on the grid this year?
Six teams are back on the grid: MP Motorsport, Hitech, Rodin Motorsports, PREMA Racing, Campos Racing, and ART Grand Prix.
Find out more about the ART Grand Prix and Hitech drivers here. Learn more about the MP Motorsport and Rodin Motorsport drivers here. Campos Racing and PREMA Racing drivers are listed here.
F1 Academy 2026 weekend format
The 2025 season introduced a change to the weekend format, which continues for 2026, with racing split into three days: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Up to two practice sessions, each lasting up to 40 minutes, can take place on Friday. A 30-minute qualifying session will take place on either Friday or Saturday, depending on the number of practice sessions allocated.
Saturday will host the Reverse Grid Race, and, following last season's reform of the Sporting Regulations, it will be a reverse-grid race.
The Reverse Grid Race means the top eight drivers from qualifying will be reversed on the grid, while drivers finishing between P9 and P18 will start from the position they qualify in.
In this race, only the first eight drivers will earn points and the driver who records the fastest lap and finishes in the top eight will score an extra point.
Reverse Grid Race points allocation:
P1 - 10 points
P2 - 8 points
P3 - 6 points
P4 - 5 points
P5 - 4 points
P6 - 3 points
P7 - 2 points
P8 - 1 point
The Feature Race (previously known as Race 2) remains unchanged from previous seasons, with drivers starting from their qualifying positions. The first 10 drivers to cross the chequered flag earn points on a sliding scale, from 25 points for the winner down to 1 point for the driver finishing in P10.
The driver who earns pole for Race 2 will earn two extra points. The driver who sets the fastest lap earns an additional point if they finish the race in the top 10.
Feature Race points allocation:
P1 - 25 points
P2 - 18 points
P3 - 15 points
P4 - 12 points
P5 - 10 points
P6 - 8 points
P7 - 6 points
P8 - 4 points
P9 - 2 points
P10 - 1 point
Montreal and Austin will host a third race, also known as the Opening Race, to ensure the two cancelled races from Jeddah still take place. This will be the first race of the weekend, with the grid decided by the drivers’ second-fastest lap times.
Opening Race points allocation:
P1 - 25 points
P2 - 18 points
P3 - 15 points
P4 - 12 points
P5 - 10 points
P6 - 8 points
P7 - 6 points
P8 - 4 points
P9 - 2 points
P10 - 1 point
Two points will be awarded for pole position in the Feature Race, but not in the Opening Race or the Reverse Grid Race. A point will be awarded for the fastest lap of all three races, provided the driver finishes in the top eight in the Reverse Grid Race and in the top 10 in the Opening and Feature Races.
What's the schedule for the Las Vegas race weekend?
Round 6 begins on Thursday, 19 November, with practice and qualifying.
The Reverse Grid Race takes place on Friday, 20 November and the Feature Race takes place on Saturday, 21 November.
All times are in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Who is the F1 Academy Las Vegas wild card entry?
Spanish driver Luna Fluxa Cross will make her F1 Academy race weekend debut as the Las Vegas Wild Card Driver. Luxa Cross will drive car number 10, supported by Visit Las Vegas.
Luna Fluxa took part in the 2026 F1 Academy Rookie Test, where the 16-year-old finished sixth-fastest in both sessions.
The Spanish driver is currently competing in the 2026 F4 Spanish Championship.
Everything you need to know about the Las Vegas Strip Circuit
This will be the second time F1 Academy will race around the Las Vegas Strip Circuit as part of the F1 race weekend.
The circuit length is 6.201km, with 17 corners and each race will consist of 13 laps. Chloe Chambers set the fastest lap time in 2025 of 2:06.538.
The Las Vegas Strip Circuit encompasses large areas of the Las Vegas Strip, winding past iconic locations like Caesars Palace, the Bellagio and the Venetian. The track has high average speeds similar to Monza, with plenty of overtaking opportunities.
2026 Season Standings After Round 5
Alisha Palmowski - 172 points
Nina Gademan - 119 points
Emma Felbermayr - 113 points
Alba Larsen - 76 points
Payton Westcott - 76 points
Natalia Granada - 58 points
Megan Bruce - 52 points
Ella Lloyd - 52 points
Lisa Billard - 41 points
Mathilda Paatz - 35 points
Rachel Robertson - 28 points
Rafaela Ferreira - 27 points
Chiara Bättig (WCD) - 22 points
Kaylee Countryman - 14 points
Jade Jacquet - 13 points
Esmee Kosterman - 12 points
Ava Dobson - 8 points
Ella Stevens - 6 points
Zoe Florescu (WCD)
Autumn Fisher (WCD)
Shi Wei (WCD)
Alexia Danielsson (WCD)
The F1 Academy qualifying session, Reverse Grid Race and Feature Race throughout the season can be streamed on F1 Academy's YouTube, X Channels, F1 TV and Sky Sports F1.
All images are credited to F1 Academy Limited.
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