Red Bull champion hails 'open and welcoming' Max Verstappen support

Alisha Palmowski has opened up on what it has been like to receive guidance from Max Verstappen, revealing the four-time world champion's genuine willingness to help has stood out most during her time around Red Bull.

The 2026 F1 Academy champion wrapped up her title in Austin with a round to spare, backing up a race win with an eighth-to-second recovery drive in the reverse-grid encounter at the Circuit of the Americas. 

Since then, Palmowski has spoken about the access she has had to Verstappen within Red Bull's environment, describing how she has used the opportunity to study his approach up close.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Palmowski explained what she admires most about the Dutchman's mentality on track.

"I think it's a really mentally challenging sport, more than a lot of people realise, and I think that's what I admire most about Max," she said.

"You know, his mentality, his aggression and his never-give-up attitude. I think anything can happen in a race, but Max is always able to extract 110% out of the car, and that's something that I really admire. 

"And I'm not comparing myself to Max in the sense that I'm saying I'm on his level, but I definitely admire and look up to him, and wish that one day I'll be anywhere near him."

Key takeaway from Max Verstappen interactions

Asked directly about receiving advice from Verstappen, Palmowski was in no doubt about the value of the experience.

"It's incredible, honestly," she said. "He is so open and welcoming that if I have any concern or question, he's really hands-on and just really genuinely wants to help."

"I think the biggest thing that I've learned through this opportunity of having access to such a driver is actually just standing back and observing him: how he interacts with his engineers, the feedback he gives, being able to wear the radio headset throughout a qualifying session or a grand prix, listening to what he finds important, what isn't important, and just the way he handles himself across a race weekend and his approach. I think that's something that I've learned a lot from."

Palmowski's next step up the single-seater ladder has yet to be officially confirmed by Red Bull or F1 Academy.