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 considers this achievement as a comfortable advantage going into Round 3 in Barcelona.
After her consecutive wins at the Miami International Speedway, Pulling now holds the first position in the F1 Academy Drivers’ Championship. She is over 30 points ahead of her nearest 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 the pressure from Bianca Bustamente, a McLaren development driver, who made a brief attempt 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 managed to defend her position in the first corner. Pulling attributes her victory to her strategic approach and the challenges posed by tire management due to aerodynamic drag.
Con tres victorias en cuatro carreras, Pulling está satisfecha con su rendimiento, pero sigue enfocada en mantener su mentalidad para el resto de la temporada. Ella enfatiza la importancia de concentrarse en su propio rendimiento en la pista en lugar de preocuparse por la clasificación del campeonato.
Mirando hacia la próxima carrera en Barcelona, del 21 al 23 de junio, Pulling revela sus planes de seguir compitiendo en el campeonato británico de F4 y en otras series de carreras. Ella menciona el extenso trabajo en el simulador que realizará con su equipo y expresa su emoción por correr en Brands Indy después del evento anterior en Miami.
Como una de las pilotos que participaron en la temporada inaugural de la F1 Academy el año pasado, Pulling reconoce que esta es su última oportunidad de conquistar el título del campeonato. A pesar del rendimiento dominante de Pin en la primera ronda en Jeddah, Pulling logró recuperarse y asegurar victorias dobles en Miami.
