Palmowski praises Verstappen's open, hands-on support

Alisha Palmowski has said that Max Verstappen has been open and welcoming, and that he is hands-on when she has a concern or question. The 2026 F1 Academy champion clinched her title in Austin with a round to spare, after a race win and an eighth-to-second recovery drive in the reverse-grid race at the Circuit of the Americas.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Palmowski said she admires Verstappen's mentality, aggression and never-give-up attitude, and that he is able to extract the maximum from the car. She said she has learned much by observing how he works with his engineers, the feedback he gives and how he handles a race weekend, including listening on the radio during qualifying and grands prix.

Palmowski's next step up the single-seater ladder has not yet been officially confirmed by Red Bull or F1 Academy.