The storylines to keep an eye on as F1 ACADEMY returns in Montreal

Two months on from the season opener in Shanghai, F1 ACADEMY is getting back on track as Round 2 of the 2026 campaign heads to the much-loved Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

As the all-female series makes the first of three trips to North America, here are all the key talking points to get stuck into ahead of an action-packed weekend…

THE TITLE RACE IS WIDE OPEN

Emma Felbermayr wasn’t billed as one of this season’s title favourites, but you’d be foolish to rule her out after her display in Shanghai. After qualifying in third, she fought her way on to the Reverse Grid Race podium, before following that up with an even more impressive display on the Sunday.

Getting the better of polesitter Alisha Palmowski off the line, the Audi driver was in prime position to capitalise on Alba Larsen’s restart error, seizing the Feature Race win and the lead of the Drivers’ Standings.

The Austrian now sits six points ahead of Palmowski, with Alpine’s Nina Gademan in third following her Reverse Grid Race win. Heading back to the track she scored her maiden victory at, Felbermayr and her Rodin Motorsport team will be confident that a return to the top step won’t be far away.

AN EXTRA RACE BRINGS ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

F1 ACADEMY fans are in for a treat this weekend, with three races taking place at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The new format, which also features at the penultimate round in Austin, brings the 2026 season back up to 14 races following the confirmation that the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix would not take place in April.

As a result, Saturday morning’s action will kick off with the Opening Race, with the grid set by the drivers’ second-fastest Qualifying times. The top eight in Qualifying will be reversed in the afternoon for the Reverse Grid Race, followed by the Feature Race on Sunday morning — which could see a chance of showers.

Both the Opening Race and the Feature Race will award full Grand Prix points to the top 10, while only the top eight will be eligible to score points in the Reverse Grid Race. With a maximum of 65 points to play for, there will be ample opportunities for the drivers to impress, but consistency will be key if they want to make the most of the three races.

WHAT IMPACT CAN AUTUMN FISHER MAKE?

Autumn Fisher becomes the 14th different Wild Card driver to make their F1 ACADEMY debut and she’ll be looking to make a name for herself on home soil, representing Standard Chartered. The 18-year-old participated in last year’s Rookie Test and has competed in both the French and British F4 Championships.

A Wild Card driver has yet to score a podium, whilst Mathilda Paatz missed out on points as the Montreal Wild Card last year. With more points on the table and a closely competitive field, Fisher will be optimistic about her chances of breaking into the top 10.

LARSEN AND LLOYD LOOKING FOR BETTER FORTUNES

Larsen and Ella Lloyd will both be wanting to put the opening round behind them and start as they mean to go on in Montreal.

Larsen’s Shanghai weekend had all the ingredients to be her best round in the series so far. Qualifying on the front row for the first time, the Ferrari driver broke her front wing in her attempt to pass Felbermayr in the Reverse Grid Race. She then looked on course for the Feature Race victory after overtaking Palmowski off the line.

However, a late Safety Car restart cost her dearly, as she went off into the gravel out of the final corner and plummeted down to P8.

Meanwhile, Lloyd struggled in Qualifying and had to settle for 10th. Although the McLaren driver was able to take two points finishes in P7 and P5, those results were far below estimations and both she and Larsen need bumper points hauls if they want to put themselves in the title race.

WHICH ROOKIE WILL BRING HOME SILVERWARE NEXT?

Payton Westcott and Natalia Granada were the standout rookies of Round 1 and their nine fellow newcomers will all be eager to follow in their footsteps.

Granada was the first to achieve silverware, holding on to P2 in the Reverse Grid Race — an even more remarkable feat considering it was her single-seater debut. Westcott followed on Sunday, with the Mercedes driver delivering a strong performance in the Feature Race to finish a comfortable third.

The lack of testing at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve will make the rookies’ task even hard, but with three races ahead of them, watch out for the likes of Gatorade’s Lisa Billard and Mathilda Paatz, with the German racer previously racing at the track as last year’s Wild Card entry.