Motorsport Week had the privilege of speaking with F1 Academy Championship leader Abbi Pulling to talk about present and future aspirations.
On the driving front, Pulling is F1 Academy’s leading light. The Alpine Academy prospect took the lead in the Drivers’ Championship from Round 1, Race 2 at Jeddah, coinciding with her first victory of 2024.
Four wins later, Pulling has landed in Singapore with a 71-point lead in the Drivers’ standings. Throw in a historic British F4 win and an Autosport Award nomination and it is hard to name any driver that has benefitted more than Pulling from F1 Academy’s exposure.
Abbi Pulling on F1 Academy’s impact
Pulling made her way into the female single-seater scene in the final year of the W Series in 2022, the same season she joined the Alpine Academy. The Briton went on to participate in the inaugural year of F1 Academy in 2023 and is now chasing the title in 2024 amid the series’ stronger alignment with Formula 1 itself.
As a result, Pulling is well-placed to comment on the rise in women’s single-seater racing. “It’s amazing what W Series used to do, and now F1 Academy, how they’re accelerating female talent and giving us so many opportunities,” Pulling told Motorsport Week. “Obviously F1 Academy is now on the Formula 1 package, so the exposure is incredible, obviously its broadcast live [on Sky Sports in the UK]. It just puts us on a massive platform. It gets a lot of eyes on you, but you know, creates a bit of pressure, but at the end of the day, pressure is a privilege, and I think that’s a really great opportunity that they’re providing us.”
Making British F4 history
One of the benefits of F1 Academy is that the series allows its drivers to compete in other series to maximise seat time. Pulling has used that to good effect and made history as the first female winner in the ROKiT British F4 Certified by the FIA Championship with her Race 2 victory at Brands Hatch in May.
“F1 Academy provide a great programme with the testing and also the race time that we get, but to pair that with British F4, with Rodin cars, has also been amazing,” Pulling said. “It’s helped me so much, and I can’t thank people enough for giving me the opportunity to do the dual programme, because, you know, it’s clearly working.”
READ MORE: Pulling becomes the first woman to win a race in British F4
Getting noticed
Pulling’s exploits have caught the eyes of the judges of the prestigious Silverstone Autosport BRDC Award, resulting in her third top-10 nomination.
“It’s so special,” said Pulling. “Every year, I’m like, ‘maybe I’ll get to the final four,’ but there some amazing names on there. People like Freddie [Slater], who’s absolutely dominating Italian F4, Arvid [Lindblad] is doing well in F3, and Louis Sharp, who’s a fellow Rodin driver, he’s doing amazing in GB3, so there are some really great names on there that have achieved so much. We’ll see if I make it to the next stages, it would be a dream to get that opportunity, but just to be nominated on its own is a huge privilege. As a little girl, I probably didn’t see myself being amongst so many talented drivers and it’s nice to have progressed, really put the work in, and now see it kind of coming back to me.”
A vital part of Pulling’s progress is down to her involvement with Alpine, an association that is in its third year. Through Alpine, Pulling has received financial aid, guidance regarding physical and mental preparation and access to the F1 team’s operations.
“I wouldn’t be racing if it wasn’t for them,” Pulling said. “But also technically, mentally, they really help a lot, and physically, I’m in the gym pretty often, so they give me access to all of their facilities, which is really nice. It just means a lot to represent teams such as Alpine, it’s created lots of F1 drivers, so it’s also nice to see that there’s that progression path. I mean it’s a big dream, but you know, I’m still quite far away from it, but it’s nice to have something to aim for.”
Abbi Pulling’s F1 Academy aspirations
Part of her pathway is clinching the F1 Academy title, and the prize associated with it, a fully-funded campaign in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) and 10 FIA Super Licence points. Still, Pulling isn’t thinking about the F1 Academy title just yet.
“I’ve still got to do the job for the rest of the season, and that’s my focus, trying to win the championship, and obviously getting the amazing prize which F1 Academy offer,” Pulling said. “I just want to move up in category and go to bigger machinery, that’s the main thing, just keep progressing in my career. I’ve very much not looked at the point standings, I’ve kind of scrolled past it if there’s anything to do with it, and also it’s been a really nice distraction having the British F4, so I’ve not even had the time to think about it, which is nice. I think that’s a big thing that I’ve done this year, I’ve taken a lot of pressure off my shoulders. Last season I felt a bit desperate maybe, desperate to get results and perform, and I just never really put a weekend together, whereas this year I took a step back, focused on enjoying my driving, and so we say, happy Abbi is a fast Abbi, and it just seems to always kind of come together at the moment.”
Pulling and Powell
Alpine, Rodin, British F4 history and an F1 Academy title-lead are the summation of things coming together for Pulling. It’s worth noting amid F1 Academy’s goal to inspire female racers that Pulling has her own inspiration right in her corner. Fellow racer, manager and friend Alice Powell is often seen at Pulling’s side and is a key figure in progressing her career.
“I can’t thank her enough for all her help,” Pulling said. “She’s been the one that’s been a driving force to keep me going in my career. Putting me in front of Alpine and giving me an opportunity to be in [and stay in] the Academy. She put me in touch with Rodin last year and yeah, the rest has been history.”
READ MORE: Abbi Pulling takes double F1 Academy pole in Singapore
