Abbi Pulling secured her fifth win of the season after Zandvoort's first race, extending her championship lead over Doriane Pin - who finished second but was demoted to fifth due to a jump start penalty, allowing Nerea Martí and Maya Weug to complete the podium. A stellar Nina Gademan became the first wild card to score points in fourth.
Championship leader Abbi Pulling secured her fifth win of the season and her third Grand Slam with pole, victory, and fastest lap in Zandvoort's first race, further extending her lead in the standings. Doriane Pin crossed the finish line in second but was demoted to fifth after a jump start penalty.
Nerea Martí and Maya Weug both earned their third podium finishes of the season, followed by an outstanding Nina Gademan, who finished fourth as a wild card entry.
The race, shortened to 13 laps, was contested on Sunday morning after a rainstorm hit at the originally scheduled time on Saturday.
Fifteen of the sixteen drivers lined up on the grid for the first race of the weekend on Saturday afternoon, with Bianca Bustamante set to miss the race due to damages to her ART GP Tatuus after her qualifying accident, where she understeered into the barriers at the banked Turn 3.
As the drivers prepared for the formation lap, the rain hit hard, and the worsening conditions prompted a delay. All drivers switched to wet-weather tyres, but the race was ultimately rescheduled to 08:30 on Sunday morning due to deteriorating conditions and high winds.
The rescheduling allowed Bustamante to rejoin the field, though teams had limited time between the two races, making it crucial for drivers to avoid potential damage in the first race.
Sunday morning finally brought dry weather, and despite some damp patches, everyone started on slicks. Pin had a slow start, allowing Nerea Martí to challenge her, though the Mercedes junior managed to hold onto second at Turn 1, with Martí and Weug close behind.
Gademan also overtook Nobels on the first lap, moving up to fifth place, with Chloe Chambers in pursuit. Nobels locked up on lap 2 but held her position, while Hamda Al Qubaisi and Lia Block battled behind them.
Unchallenged, Abbi Pulling had a clean getaway and quickly pulled away, gaining almost a second and a half over the first two laps. However, Pin soon came under investigation for a potential jump start.
In the midfield, Block faced intense pressure from Hamda Al Qubaisi and Carrie Schreiner, after a strong start from the Sauber Academy driver.
Chambers overtook Nobels into Turn 1 on lap 4, leaving a three-second gap to close in on the top five.
Doriane Pin’s race became more challenging when she received a five-second penalty for moving slightly before the lights went out. She tried to build a gap over Martí, Weug, and Gademan, with the leading duo being the only drivers to lap under the 1:36 mark.
Nobels came under attack from Block and Al Qubaisi, with the latter making a move into Turn 1 on the final lap to claim eighth.
Meanwhile, the battles in the midfield were fully on: Schreiner and Hausmann battled hard for the final points-scoring position, and the German ultimately secured P10, in her fourth point-scoring finish. Edgar passed Lovinfosse, and Bustamante overtook Emely De Heus for P14. An unlucky Amna Al Qubaisi rounded out the field after receiving a five-second penalty for a jump start.
After 13 dominant laps, Abbi Pulling took the chequered flag to claim her fifth win of the season, followed by Nerea Martí, Maya Weug, and Nina Gademan. Pin was classified fifth, one position ahead of Chloe Chambers.
Pulling now leads the championship by 82 points over Pin, while Martí significantly closes the gap in the battle for third in the standings. Weug, on the podium at her home race, gains two places in the championship, and Hamda Al Qubaisi moves ahead of Bustamante.
Gademan’s fourth-place finish marks the first time a wild card entry has scored points.
With seventh place, Aurelia Nobels achieved her personal best in the series and ties with Amna Al Qubaisi and Lia Block in the points table.
The teams will have just under an hour before lining up again for Race 2, with Doriane Pin having a second chance to reassert herself in the title fight from pole position.
Race 2 goes green at 10:40 local time.
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