Britain’s Abbi Pulling wins all-female F1 Academy title

DOHA: British driver Abbi Pulling won the 2024 all-female F1 Academy championship in Qatar on Saturday to secure an all-paid season in the British GB3 junior series with New Zealand’s Rodin Motorsport.

The 21-year-old Alpine Academy driver finished second behind French rival Doriane Pin, representing Mercedes, to clinch the title with three races to spare. She had needed only 18 points from the last four races.

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GB3 cars are quicker than the 1.4-litre F4 Tatuus cars used by F1 Academy.

“It’s been a tougher season than most, going into the year I had no choice but to win, I’ve struggled financially in the past,” said Abbi Pulling, who this year also became the first woman to win a British F4 race.

“To get the prize for next year… that makes me so happy and incredibly proud.

“It’s such a weight off my shoulders. I think every year I go into every winter like ‘what am I going to do next?’.

“I’m going to go into next year and really, really put the work in and make the most of the opportunity and leave no stone unturned.”

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Formula One teams each nominate a driver and have their livery on a car in the Academy, a series on the Formula One support programme.

The last woman to start a Formula One grand prix was the late Italian Lella Lombardi in 1976 and F1 Academy aims to help female racers up the ladder.