Alisha Palmowski lands F1 ACADEMY Wild Card spot for Round 6 in Qatar

British racer Alisha Palmowski will join the F1 ACADEMY grid as the Wild Card entry for the penultimate round of the 2024 season in Qatar.

In her first year of single-seaters, Palmowski sealed the Vice Champion title in the GB4 Championship. Claiming victory in her debut race, the 18-year-old went on to secure a further two wins, two pole positions and 11 podiums overall — more than any other driver in the field.

“I’m very excited to be the Wild Card Entry in Qatar, it’s an incredible opportunity and one I never could have dreamt of 12 months ago,” said Palmowski.

“This will be my first race outside of the UK, and for it be on the F1 ACADEMY grid as a support series to Formula 1 is a dream come true. I’d like to say a huge thank you to the team at F1 ACADEMY, and of course Susie Wolff, for giving me this opportunity to learn and hopefully secure a seat on the grid for next year.”

She will be taking to the track in the #6 F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE-liveried car, operated by PREMA Racing, to highlight the success of the global programme which aims to increase the talent pool of young women entering motorsport.

Introduced this year, the Wild Card initiative was brought in to help strengthen the talent pool in the regions in which F1 ACADEMY races and prioritises talented young drivers from each race region. At races where a driver from the local region is not available, the opportunity is made accessible to drivers from other regions who aspire to compete in F1 ACADEMY the following year.

So far, four Wild Cards have featured on an F1 ACADEMY grid — Reema Juffali, Courtney Crone, Nina Gademan and Ella Lloyd — with the drivers gaining valuable experience and exposure from the series’ global platform.

At a karting level, F1 ACADEMY has also supported three female drivers in each of the three mixed-gender categories in the Champions of the Future Academy Programme (COTFA). With a commitment to increasing the pipeline of female talent both on and off the track, COTFA and the Wild Card initiative demonstrate the series' dedication to creating opportunities for young female drivers to progress up the karting ladder and into single-seaters.

Katie Denver, F1 ACADEMY Driver Development Lead added: “Our global F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE programme identifies, supports and nurtures future talent, both on and off track. On track, the programme provides opportunities for talented young drivers to develop their skills and performance, as well as a platform to showcase their potential on an international stage.

“We’re delighted to welcome Alisha as our Round 6 Wild Card, and we look forward to seeing her in action in the F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE livery.”