F1 Academy: Abbi Pulling takes record-breaking eighth win of the season in Abu Dhabi Race 1

Abbi Pulling took a record-breaking eighth win of the season in Abu Dhabi's first race, while Hamda Al Qubaisi returned to the podium ahead of Doriane Pin amid fierce battles throughout the field.

Photo credits: F1 Academy Limited

After officially sealing the title once again with the extra points for pole positions, it was now a matter of showcasing a champion’s drive for Abbi Pulling – and Race 1 at Abu Dhabi certainly was that, as she scored a record-breaking eighth win of the season, topping Marta Garcia's seventh wins from the 2023 inaugural F1 Academy season.

The newly-crowned champion would lead the pack in all three races At Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi after a stellar qualifying session on Friday. However, the margins at the top were tight throughout day one, particularly with Chloe Chambers and Hamda Al Qubaisi close behind in both practice and qualifying. With top-ten positions still undecided, there was plenty of action to come in the final three races.

While most races this year have been won from pole, Yas Marina Circuit offers better overtaking opportunities. Chambers therefore aimed to replicate her success from Barcelona, where she won from second on the grid, while home hero Hamda Al Qubaisi sought to capitalize on her extensive experience at the track.

At the start, Chambers had an outstanding launch, immediately taking the lead ahead of Pulling and Al Qubaisi. Emely De Heus, starting from her best qualifying position of the year in sixth, also made a great start to move into fifth, passing Pin and Bustamante - as the Dutchwoman aimed to end her F1 Academy stint on a high.

Drama however unfolded on the first lap as Chambers spun and fell to the back of the pack, allowing Pulling to retake the lead with an eight-tenth advantage over Al Qubaisi. Despite some good defense from the MP Motorsport driver, Pin overtook De Heus for third and joined the leading duo.

In the midfield, Wild Card Logan Hannah had stellar first few laps, climbing from 16th to 13th with a clean overtake on Jessica Edgar.

Once in clear air, Pin pushed to close the gap to Al Qubaisi with a series of fast laps, but the Emirati driver responded with equally impressive pace.

Chambers began recovering positions with impressive speed but was handed a five-second penalty for an unsafe rejoin following her spin. Despite a tricky start, Bustamante found pace, and started pressuring De Heus for fourth, albeit Emely settled in her rhythm and left no gaps.

Battles erupted throughout the field, with Nerea Martí fending off Maya Weug and Carrie Schreiner for sixth while Amna Al Qubaisi climbed several places to ninth, confirming to be one of the biggest movers of the field. Lia Block, after losing positions early, recovered to pass Hannah for 14th with a determined move.

Further back, a tight scrap between Lovinfosse, Hausmann, Nobels, and Chambers saw non-stop action for most of the race. Hausmann first came under scrutiny for gaining an advantage after being forced through the run-off. Chambers outbraked Nobels and went for a clean move, but then collided with Lovinfosse, who had already been hit by Hausmann, causing the Frenchwoman to spin. This second incident cost Hausmann a penalty.

Chambers however continued her charge, forcing Hausmann into a mistake and overtaking her on lap 9.

At the front, Pulling extended her lead to two seconds while Pin attempted to close in on Al Qubaisi. Despite Pin setting the fastest lap on lap 9 and closing to within a second, Al Qubaisi defended brilliantly, leveraging her knowledge of the circuit.

The battle for sixth intensified as Martí came under pressure from Weug, Amna Al Qubaisi, Schreiner, and Chambers in a five-car train. Amna capitalized on the chaos, gaining positions with decisive moves.

Pin launched a late attack on Hamda Al Qubaisi but couldn’t find a way past the Emirati, who expertly positioned her car throughout the race despite having to deal with understeer.

Pulling meanwhile had pulled away to take an unchallenged victory, finishing 4.5 seconds ahead of Al Qubaisi and Pin. This flawless drive marked Pulling’s eighth win of the season and further cemented her dominance in the season. She now enjoys a 100 point advatnage over Doriane Pin.

Hamda Al Qubaisi celebrated her best result of the season with a second-place finish at her home race, returning to the podium for the first time since Barcelona. This achievement gained her two places in the championship standings, as she moves up to fourth.

Pin completed the podium in third.

Photo credits: F1 Academy Limited

Emely De Heus held on superbly for fourth, achieving her best finish of the year after a previous best of sixth in Spain. Bustamante broke a streak of tough results to claim fifth, her fourth top-five finish of the season.

Nerea Martí secured sixth, and despite gaining crucial points in the standings after keeping Weug and Chambers behind, she lost fourth in the championship to Hamda.

Her sister Amna Al Qubaisi climbed five positions to finish ninth, scoring her first points since Miami. Carrie Schreiner delivered a solid drive to finish ninth, while Aurelia Nobels claimed the final point in P10. Chambers, hampered by her five-second penalty, dropped to 11th in what proved to be an unlucky race for the quick Haas driver.

Lia Block finished 12th, ahead of Lola Lovinfosse, Logan Hannah – who gained two positions during the race – Tina Hausmann, and Jessica Edgar. Despite the unlucky outcome, it was a good run for Hausmann, who battled all race within the top ten and showed strong pace.

The second race of the day is scheduled for 20:15 local time, with even more action expected as the battle for positions just outside the top three and the team championship continues. Prema Racing so far leads Rodin Motorsport by 17 points.