Abbi Pulling, the race winner, celebrates her victory on the podium. The event took place on May 4, 2024, at the Miami International Speedway in Florida, USA. This was part of the FIA Formula Academy, Round 2, Race 1.
Abbi Pulling, a driver for Alpine Junior, expresses her satisfaction with her double triumph during the F1 Academy weekend in Miami. She sees this achievement as a comfortable advantage heading into Round 3 in Barcelona.
Following her consecutive wins at the Miami International Speedway, Pulling now sits in first place in the F1 Academy Drivers’ Championship. She is over 30 points ahead of her closest rival, Doriane Pin, also known as Iron Dame.
Pulling expresses her gratitude to those who supported her and provided her with the opportunity to achieve this success. She acknowledges the incredible contributions of Alpine and Rodin Motorsport.
Starting from pole position, the British driver led Race 2 despite pressure from Bianca Bustamente, a McLaren development driver, who briefly attempted to overtake her at Turn 1. Pulling managed to maintain her lead throughout the 13-lap race, finishing five seconds ahead of Bustamente and securing her first podium of the season.
Reflecting on the race, Pulling admits to having had a less than ideal start, but remained determined and assertive to hold her position. She was aware of Bustamente’s advantage with new tires, but was able to defend her position into the first corner. Pulling attributes her victory to her strategic approach and the challenges posed by tire management due to aerodynamic drag.
With three wins in four races, Pulling is satisfied with her performance, but remains focused on maintaining her mindset for the rest of the season. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on her own performance on the track rather than worrying about the championship standings.
Looking ahead to the next race in Barcelona, from June 21 to 23, Pulling reveals her plans to continue competing in the British F4 championship and other racing series. She mentions the extensive simulator work she will be doing with her team and expresses her excitement to race at Brands Indy after the previous event in Miami.
As one of the drivers who took part in the inaugural season of the F1 Academy last year, Pulling acknowledges that this is her last chance to win the championship title. Despite Pin’s dominant performance in the first round in Jeddah, Pulling managed to bounce back and secure double wins in Miami.
