Rodin’s Abbi Pulling has made it five back-to-back Pole Positions after the F1 Academy Qualifying session at the 2024 Dutch GP. The Brit topped the times once again, making it three-for-three fastest session times so far this weekend. PREMA Racing’s Doriane Pin was once again in P2, hot on Pulling’s heels just one tenth off the pace. Nerea Martí will start today’s Race 1 from P3, beside Maya Weug in her home-race. A second Dutchwoman – wildcard entry Nina Gademan – will start in P6 with Aurelia Nobels splitting the two.
It will be Pin, however, who will start on Pole for Race 2 on Sunday. Pulling will start in P2, ending her streak of Poles and making the race start all the more important.
As it Happened
The F1 Academy drivers headed out onto a wet Zandvoort track for the Qualifying session at the 2024 Dutch GP while the rain continued to fall.
Yellow flag sector 1 – 4 mins into the session. Amna Al Qubaisi spun coming out of Turn 3, managing to turn the car around and get her session back underway. Drivers looked to be struggling out on track with the poor visibility and wet track. Bianca Bustamante, after an early end to her Practice 2 session yesterday, found herself awfully close to the wall at Turn 3 – not long after Al Qubaisi.
With 23 minutes to go, Pulling was certainly showing no fear for the waterlogged track, going purple in all sectors and posting a 1:47.403. Maya Weug – a Dutchwoman used to the weather over Zandvoort – sat in P2 with a 1:47.961. Pulling and Weug were the only two drivers at that point to sit in the 1:47s.
Chaos at Turn 3
Turn 3 claimed its next victim in Chloe Chambers, triggering a brief yellow flag. The Haas livery car spun out at the exit of the corner, but was able to recover. The recovery did, however, send Chambers straight into the path of Lola Lovinfosse, who was able to avoid a collision.
With just under 18 minutes to go, Pulling was making the most of a slightly drier track. The Brit was now into the 1:46s, posting a 1:46.746. Lia Block was up in P2 with a 1:47.685, 0.9s off of Pulling. The American quickly embarked on another flying lap four minutes later, but failed to complete it after taking to the escape road half-way round.
Yellow Flags Everywhere!
The session was littered with brief yellow flags as drivers clambered around the Zandvoort track. While the racing line was drying out on track, it quickly became worn down, once again reducing the grip.
Ten minutes remained on the clock and Pulling still sat at the top of the times, followed by Block. Pin sat hot on the heels of Block, with Weug behind. The wildcard entry for the Dutch GP weekend, Nina Gademan, was holding her own in P10 and the third dutchwoman of Emely De Heus was down in P15.
A slew of flying laps were underway with eight minutes to go, including the frontrunners. Gademan rocketed up to P2 with a 1:47.555 before being demoted to P3 by Pin.
More Misery for Bustamante
The red flag was waved with six and a half minutes remaining on the clock. Bustamante, on a new, cold set of wet tyres, locked up and careered straight into the barriers at Turn 3. The ART team would have a lot of work to do before Race 1 this afternoon.
Racing resumed around five minutes later after a quick recovery of the stricken ART. The drivers had time for three laps maximum at the green flag, making track position all the more important. While Block was the first out with the ideal track position, Pulling was instructed by her engineer to ‘charge through the traffic’. However, Block locked the fronts on the second lap, sending her off the track and losing precious track time. There was also drama for Pulling, who was overtaken by Amna Al Qubaisi, worsening her track position.
Hamda Al Qubaisi was noted for failing to slow down at the red flag caused by Bustamante’s incident. Al Qubaisi could be seen flying down the straight to cross the line – while the red flag was in full force. The incident would be investigated after the race.
Three-Lap Shootout to the Flag
In the three-lap shootout around the sodden Zandvoort track, all drivers apart from Pulling were improving on their times. Gademan was unable to keep up the momentum, falling to P6 as she was leapfrogged by Nerea Martí, Weug and Aurelia Nobels. Doriane Pin in P2 closed the gap to Pulling to just one tenth of a second.
As the chequered flag was waved, Pulling secured her fifth back-to-back pole position for Race 1 with a 1:46.746. Pin was pipped to P1 by a tenth, but remained in P2, followed by Martí in P3. There were two Dutchwomen in the top six – Weug posted the time worthy for P4, with wildcard Gademan in P6. Nobels split the two in P5.
Doriane Pin will start on Pole for Race 2, fending off Pulling who admitted she was struggling for pace towards the end of the session.
Photo credit: BWT Alpine F1 Team
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