GB4 runner-up Alisha Palmowski claimed fifth place in her first F1 Academy Wildcard race, after a fighting drive in Qatar.
Starting sixth, the three-time GB4 race-winner made a good start to move up to fifth by passing the Williams-liveried car of Lia Block on the run at the first corner.
From there, she set her sights on the Red Bull styled machine of Hamda Al Qubaisi, a four-time race winner in the series last year.
Palmowski applied pressure throughout the first half of the race, rarely more than a second behind her rival, but was unable to threaten a serious passing attempt through the high speed corners of the Lusail circuit.
Despite that, she secured an excellent fifth place, fending off late pressure from Block, and earning one of the best results for a Wildcard entrant this year.
Palmowski has another race to look forward to tomorrow, where she will start from fourth on the grid.
