With just two rounds left in the F1 Academy season, Alpine Academy driver Abbi Pulling leads the championship ahead of Doriane Pin and Maya Weug.
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It’s been a dominant performance by Pulling. She’s collected a race win and a a pole position at every track besides Jeddah, where Doriane Pin clinched pole position for both races. After a particularly dominant weekend in Singapore, Abbi Pulling has the momentum and a big championship lead.
Pulling’s success so far is a result of her incredible consistency. When asked about the key to maintaining that consistency, she explained the importance of resetting.
“There’s a lot of work that goes into it. I think the big thing to maintain it is to reset after every race weekend.”
“I just go into it with no expectations, take the pressure off my own shoulders and just go into the weekend wanting to do the best I possibly can and try and make as little mistakes as possible. And if that’s P1 it’s P1, and if it’s P5 it’s P5.”
“As long as I come out of a weekend knowing that I’ve done everything I can, I can be really satisfied with that.”
Last season, Abbi Pulling finished in fifth, over 100 points behind 2023 F1 Academy Champion Marta García. This season, the young Brit is leading the championship by 95 points over second place. She attributed her increased success to the mental side of racing, stating:
“I think the mental side of sport as a whole can be quite overlooked, whereas I see it as my biggest strength and my biggest tool this year. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s taken a long time to get to where I am and a lot of deliberate application of it as well.”
“I think last year I thought I was mentally strong, but then stepping back and analysing it, I was actually not very good in these areas. I made sure to focus on that. That was mainly putting pressure on myself to perform, whereas this year I’ve really focused on enjoying it and the process. Not seeing every race as a pivotal point in my career.”
“I’m not putting the pressure on myself. I’m my own biggest critic at the end of the day, and I’ve very much tried to not be this year.”
The 21-year-old has taken big strides over the winter that have been crucial to her current performances. She emphasized the importance of her mentality going into race weekends and when handling outside obstacles like aborted starts. It’s clear Pulling has found her perfect recipe for success this year.
What the Future Holds
There are just two race weekends left in the 2024 season. Qatar and Abu Dhabi are both new editions to F1 Academy calendar, so it’ll be a new experience for Abbi Pulling. The drivers will have some testing prior to the final races to learn the tracks. Pulling’s mindset remains the same when approaching these unknown circuits.
“It will be a similar approach to all season. I think at the end of the day, it’s being able to drive the car on the limit of the grip that you feel. That’s what I focus on the most. And then kind of adapting to how the car is feeling to the track and just tidying up my references and working with the team a lot on the simulator.”
While her focus has been on maximising each race weekend, winning the championship is key to Abbi Pulling’s progression up the motorsport ladder. Former series champion Marta García was awarded a fully funded seat in FRECA. F1 Academy remains committed to helping its champions progress up the single seater ladder, including helping with funding. If the Alpine Academy driver continues to flourish, Pulling could be the next F1 Academy graduate in FRECA and beyond.
“Who knows what I’ll be doing next year? I think the main thing is focusing on the now and finishing off this season strong and making sure that I’m as best prepared to be at the front in whatever I’m competing in next year.”
Feature Image Credit: Alpine F1
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