F1 Academy: Abbi Pulling scores triple pole position in Abu Dhabi
- RACERS
- Dec 6, 2024
- 4 min read
With a dominant qualifying performance in Abu Dhabi, Abbi Pulling secured all three pole positions, in a highly competitive session where Chloe Chambers and Hamda Al Qubaisi also battled at the top end of the field, trading positions with the new series champion.
Abbi Pulling claimed the F1 Academy title for the second time in one week, after the addition of a third race in Abu Dhabi, following the cancellation of the second contest in Qatar last weekend. Two additional points were allocated for the third pole position, which unexpectedly brought Doriane Pin back into contention.
Pulling, however, only needed one point over the Abu Dhabi season finale to officially seal the title – and she did so in commanding fashion during qualifying, claiming all three pole positions and securing 6 extra points, which mathematically confirmed the Alpine Academy driver as champion once again.
The British racer, who had been a dominant force throughout the season, had already showcased her speed at Yas Marina Circuit during the pre-event test in late October, where the all-female series hosted a three-day collective session.
In Friday’s morning practice session, four drivers emerged as frontrunners in a tightly contested battle. Chloe Chambers topped the timesheets, followed by Pulling, Pin, and home hero Hamda Al Qubaisi. These drivers carried their strong pace into qualifying, trading positions throughout the 30-minute session that determined the grid for the three weekend races, based on their best, second-best, and third-best times.
The qualifying session, held at night against the scenic backdrop of Yas Marina, mirrored the conditions for Race 2, while Races 1 and 3 will take place during the day.
Some teams opted for varied strategies, with several cars starting their push laps after two warm-up laps with three fast times needed. On the initial runs, Aurelia Nobels led briefly with a 1:58.0, before Bianca Bustamante went fastest with a 1:56.894.
Shortly after, Pulling delivered purple sectors in 1 and 3, moving into second with 19 minutes remaining. She then climbed to the top with a 1:56.439, setting a strong benchmark. Emely De Heus followed with an impressive lap to take second before Chloe Chambers reclaimed the top spot with a stellar middle sector, proving she would be a strong contender for pole position.
Prema teammates Doriane Pin and Maya Weug delayed their first flying laps until 15 minutes were left, as half the field pitted for fresh tyres. Aurelia Nobels recorded a quick time, but it was deleted for exceeding track limits, a recurring issue throughout the session.
Pin and Weug’s late strategy added pressure, and Pin initially struggled with lap deletions. With 9 minutes to go, she set a 1:56.689, which placed her fourth but left her in a difficult position as she faced further track limits. She eventually recorded a clean lap but couldn’t challenge the top three, settling for fifth.
As the session approached its conclusion, Pulling improved her time by a tenth, but Hamda Al Qubaisi briefly claimed the top spot before Chambers edged ahead once more. In the final minutes, Pulling found more time to regain pole with a purple final sector. Al Qubaisi, hindered by traffic, couldn’t improve further, while Chambers closed the gap but fell just short of pole.
Abbi Pulling therefore secured all three pole positions with a commanding performance. She will share the front row with Chloe Chambers in all three races; Hamda Al Qubaisi will start Race 1 from third alongside Bianca Bustamante, who had a strong qualifying run, just three tenths off pole. Doriane Pin was fifth, with Emely De Heus sixth, in her best qualifying of the season.
Maya Weug will line up from seventh, ahead of Nerea Marti, Carrie Schreiner and Lia Block. Just outside the top ten, Tina Hausmann was eleventh and preceded Lola Lovinfosse, Amna Al Qubaisi, Aurelia Nobels, Jessica Edgar and Wild Card entry Logan Hannah, who made big improvements from the practice times where she faced a technical issue.
Positions will be unchanged in the top five for race 2, while Maya Weug gains a place and will start from sixth. Nerea Marti also moves up to seventh in the second-best times classification, just ahead of Block and De Heus – again in the top ten – with Schreiner also making progress. Positions will be unchanged outside the top ten.
While the front row will again see Pulling and Chambers in Sunday's final race of the season, Doriane Pin will start third, with Hamda Al Qubaisi taking the start in her final F1 Academy race from the fourth grid slot. Bustamante will be fifth, with Weug, Marti, Block following.
Aston Martin's Tina Hausmann will line up from ninth alongside Emely De Heus, as Schreiner, Edgar – up into 12th for the final race – Nobels, Amna Al Qubaisi, Lola Lovinfosse and Logan Hannah will round out the grid.
The first race of the Abu Dhabi season finale is scheduled for Saturday at 12:15 local time, with plenty of action expected, as positions just outside the top three and the team championship remain to be decided.
