Chloe Chambers leads Abu Dhabi practice ahead of Abu Dhabi season finale

F1 Academy race winner Chloe Chambers emerged as the fastest driver in the sole practice session for the Abu Dhabi season finale, as the American led Abbi Pulling, Doriane Pin and home hero Hamda Al Qubaisi in a tightly-contested session.

Photo credits: F1 Academy Limited

F1 Academy race winner Chloe Chambers topped the sole practice session for the F1 Academy season finale at Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, leading Abbi Pulling and Doriane Pin, with home favorite Hamda Al Qubaisi also showing good speed in fourth after a tightly-contested session.

Just one week after the action in Qatar, F1 Academy returned to the track at Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, for the 2025 season finale. With positions in the standings still undecided, the weekend promises plenty of excitement.

A schedule change has introduced a third race to the weekend to compensate for the second race in Lusail, which was canceled due to extensive barrier repairs ahead of the FIA F2 and F1 races on Sunday. The rescheduling reflects a commendable effort from the promoters to recover the drivers’ valuable track time.

A single qualifying session will determine the grid for all three races at Yas Marina, with two extra points awarded for each pole position. Abbi Pulling, crowned the 2024 F1 Academy champion after Race 1 in Qatar, will therefore need just one more point over the weekend to officially seal her title once again, as Doriane Pin remains mathematically in contention with 84 points still available. The Frenchwoman would need to sweep every race with three pole positions and every fastest laps, with Pulling not scoring any point.

The Abu Dhabi finale marks the last F1 Academy race for several drivers reaching the two-year participation limit: Pulling, Jessica Edgar, Lola Lovinfosse, Bianca Bustamante, Carrie Schreiner, Hamda and Amna Al Qubaisi, Emely de Heus, and Nerea Marti. For Hamda and Amna, this home race holds extra significance, as both have previously enjoyed notable success at Yas Marina in the F4 UAE Championship.

Drivers completed a three-day test at the circuit at the end of October, offering valuable mileage as most of the grid races here for the first time. However, Logan Hannah, competing as a Wild Card entry, is no stranger to Yas Marina.

The 23-year-old Scottish racer, a GB4 race winner, partnered with luggage brand Away for the weekend and will make her first F1 Academy start. Having started her career in the UAE, including F4 UAE, Hannah brings prior experience at this venue.

In the practice session, Abbi Pulling was the first to set a representative time, breaking the two-minute barrier. She was soon followed by Edgar and Lovinfosse before home hero Hamda Al Qubaisi moved into second place, with Amna also improving into third early on.

The four Prema cars delayed their push laps, appearing to save tyres, with Pin only heading out with 25 minutes left on the clock. Tina Hausmann faced initial delays due to some technical issues.

Hamda Al Qubaisi set a 1:57.3 to close in on Pulling, then further improved to a 1:57.099, edging one-tenth clear of the Alpine Academy driver. Chambers and Bustamante were also not far behind, with strong early performances. Hamda then showcased her experience at Yas Marina by becoming the first driver to dip under the 1:57 mark, extending her lead over Pulling by two-tenths.

Amna Al Qubaisi had a brief spin at Turn 1 but rejoined the session, though her flat-spotted tyres made the remainder of her run more challenging. Bustamante, meanwhile, clocked a 1:56.858 with the fastest first sector overall, positioning herself as Hamda’s closest pursuer, while Pin climbed to third. Chambers, fighting for fourth in the championship, showed solid early pace in fifth, with Campos teammate Schreiner in seventh.

With 15 minutes remaining, Hausmann and Logan Hannah finally set their first times, with Hausmann making a big improvement to go ninth fastest. After making some adjustments in the pits, Pulling reclaimed the top spot with a 1:56.527, setting a purple second sector.

However, in the closing minutes, Chloe Chambers delivered an outstanding lap to set the fastest time at 1:56.175, solidifying her position as the top in the session. Chambers, racing for Haas F1 Team for the final time before her move to Ford Red Bull next season, demonstrated strong form and took the chequered flag in first after Pulling had a puncture in her final run and went wide at the last corner, finishing second, ahead of Pin in third and Hamda Al Qubaisi in fourth.

Bustamante made a final push to climb to fifth, marking a positive start to the weekend for the McLaren-supported Filipina driver. Nerea Marti ended the session in sixth, followed by Edgar and Amna Al Qubaisi, who finished eighth despite her severely flat-spotted tyres and several track limits violations.

Hausmann secured ninth, with Nobels completing the top ten. Emely de Heus was 11th, followed by Schreiner and Lia Block, the latter struggling with multiple deleted laps and lock-ups that also damaged her tyres. Maya Weug, despite a strong showing in Qatar, faced a tricky start to the weekend, finishing 14th. She was ahead of Lovinfosse and Hannah, who spent most of the session in the pits with mechanics working on her Tatuus F4 car.

The practice session highlighted a very competitive field, with several drivers showing potential to challenge at the front. Expectations are high for the final qualifying session of the season at 18:35 local time, an important session that will award points and set the grids for the last three races of the 2024 season.

Photo credits: F1 Academy Limited