Abbi Pulling crowned twice in one season after bizarre F1 academy U-turn

Are single-sex racing series really a good idea? Yes, if they genuinely increase the chances of a woman racing driver making it to Formula 1 – and yes, if you are Abbi Pulling. The 21-year-old from Lincolnshire feared she’d slip completely from the single-seater ladder, but now has a firm grip on the next rung after becoming the second champion of the all-female, F1-endorsed Formula Academy. Her prize? A drive in British GB3, with the same Rodin team that carried her to the Academy crown.

The Alpine-affiliated driver, who also became the first female to win a British Formula 4 round this year, kept her eyes on the main prize in Qatar as Mercedes’ highly-rated Doriane Pin stole some thunder with a dominant win from pole position. Pulling, starting from the second row, picked off Ferrari’s Maya Weug and claimed the second place she needed to become champion – or so it initially seemed.

“It’s just everything that I wanted,” said Pulling. “It’s amazing, but it’s all about next year for me. Going into this year, I had no option, I had to win! I managed to do it in a way that I actually put less pressure on myself heading into the end of the year. I’m going into 2025 as hungry as I was this year. I want to make the most of the opportunity.”

Pre-season favourite Pin was gracious in defeat: “She has had a really good season, and was consistent. In the end she won the championship today. We have had some ups and downs, not an incredible season.”

As it turned out the cancellation of race two in Qatar for barrier repairs caused by a crash in another series and the addition of a third race in Abu Dhabi led to a bizarre U-turn: Pulling wasn’t yet champion after all. But pole position the following Friday at the season finale led to her second crowning for the same title in a week. She won two of the three races in Abu Dhabi, leaving her on nine wins for the season with podium finishes in every round.

Pulling also topped Formula E’s first all-female test at Jarama for Nissan, going faster than Indy NXT ace Jamie Chadwick, in for Jaguar. Pulling is pushing on.

Driver briefing notes

Reviewing winners from around the world of racing

• AF Corse Francorchamps Motors duo Alessandro Pier Guidi and Alessio Rovera won the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe title – at the inaugural Jeddah 6 Hours (spot the oxymoron). The pair, joined by Davide Rigon, inset, who missed the Monza round, grabbed the podium they needed after a 30sec stop-go penalty.

• Gabriel Bortoleto will graduate to F1 with Sauber in 2025 as Formula 2 champion. Second in the Abu Dhabi finale was enough for the Brazilian, who was also F3 champion in 2023.
• First-round sensation in Formula E, Jaguar’s Mitch Evans rose from the back after technical trouble in qualifying to win in São Paulo, in a race interrupted by two red flags. Reigning champion Pascal Wehrlein escaped injury after contact flipped him into a wall cockpit first. A big escape.