Abbi Pulling pulled off a dominant championship campaign in the 2024 F1 Academy season, finally clinching the title in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Just like last year’s winner Marta Garcia, Pulling beat her nearest rival Doriane Pin by nearly 100 points. Managing director Susie Wolff was pleasantly surprised at the same.
In a chat with F1TV’s Will Buxton, Wolff reminded how the 21-year-old Briton wasn’t a standout championship contender in her view before the season. But she was happy to be wrong on that prediction. “The interesting thing was, she wasn’t even on my radar to be a championship contender at the beginning of this year.”
Abbi Pulling surpasses last year’s champion, Marta Garcia, with her 8th race win of the season in Race 1 at Abu Dhabi
Already crowned Champion, she’s still focused and looking ahead to Race 2! ✨ #F1Academy #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/e3VqAxx6fx
— F1 Academy (@f1academy) December 7, 2024
Wolff highlighted how Pulling was right on Pin’s trail in the first round in Jeddah. From there on, she just didn’t look back. It was a streak of race wins that only halted for the odd podium result at some venues like Barcelona and Zandvoort.
Many had opined that Pin could dominate this season in F1 Academy. The Frenchwoman has raced in a variety of categories, including IMSA SportsCars and the World Endurance Championships besides doing Formula 4. Former W Series racer Chloe Grant had also predicted Pin to be the 2024 F1 Academy champion after the first round itself.
Precisely so, Pin pulled off a dominant win in the first race in Jeddah to set the tone for the season. However, she could muster three race wins [including Jeddah] throughout the seven rounds this season while Pulling went on to win eight races.
She clinched the title by securing a triple pole [with two points for each] even before the three races at the Yas Marina Circuit. Wolff said about that, “For Abbi to be able to lift her level, and dominate like she did, I mean Doriane didn’t have a chance at the end.”
Yet another light to flag victory for Abbi Pulling
P2 – Bianca Bustamante
P3 – Doriane Pin #F1Academy #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/jVz54bsdMZ— F1 Academy (@f1academy) May 5, 2024
After clinching the sophomore season of F1 Academy, Abbi will move up the junior formula ladder to participate in Formula 3 in 2025. Even Wolff stated how she is keen on seeing Pulling do well in F3 next season, based on what she has seen from the 21-year-old in F1 Academy in 2024.
Abbi would also hope that she can find success in F3 and progress to F2 in the coming years, in a bid to become the first female F1 driver. While it seems a bit far-fetched, she may just have the ingredients to match the boys’ level at the pinnacle of motorsport.
