February 23, 2023 6.30 pm This story is over 23 months old

Spalding teen with need for speed signs to Formula 1 academy

Look out for her on F1 grids in the future

By Local Democracy Reporter

A 19-year-old woman from Spalding is hoping to be a trailblazer for female motorsport after signing to the Formula 1 Academy.

Abbi Pulling has been creating buzz around her name from an early age, and has now joined the driver programme for one of the sport’s top teams.

She began karting as a nine-year-old and graduated through the ranks during her early teenage years, before moving to British Formula 4 in 2020 and earning a sixth-placed finish in the championship standings.

Her four podium finishes in that season caught the eye of many, and after earning three more top three finishes in the following season, Abbi was called up to the all-female W Series in 2021.

A seventh-placed standings finish in 2021 was followed by fourth place in the championship in the 2022 season, and her efforts have seen her claim a spot at the Formula 1 Academy, a new all-female racing competition slated for a 2023 start.


What is the F1 Academy?

The F1 Academy is a new venture by the sport to encourage female progression in motorsport, after Formula 1 pledged to try and get women racing in an F1 grand prix within a decade.

It will see 15 women compete across five teams in races all over the world, with F1 subsidising the cost of each car and allocating a budget of £130,000, with drivers expected to match that total with their own backing.

The new series has been set up after financial struggles in the free-to-enter W Series, where the 2022 season ended three races early.

Motorsport bosses are hoping the venture can be a gateway for female racers seeking a career in the male-dominated world of Formula 1.


This move comes a year after her inclusion to the Alpine Academy driver programme, which scouts and nurtures potential future drivers for the Alpine Formula 1 team – currently driven by global race stars Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.

In recent years the programme has birthed current F1 racers Guanyu Zhou and Oscar Piastri, and Abbi is hoping to follow in their footsteps in the future to set up a career inside motorsport’s crown jewel organisation.

https://twitter.com/f1academy/status/1625405643124342784?s=20

Speaking on her move to the F1 Academy, Abbi said on the Formula 1 website: “It is great to be competing in the first season of the F1 Academy, especially to be working with such a successful team as Rodin Carlin.

“Having spent time with the team before, I can’t wait to get the season started, working alongside some incredible people. I have lots of trust in them and know they will push me to be the best I can be.

“I’m very thankful for the continued support of the Alpine Academy for a second season and the great work of Gazing Performance and Alice Powell behind the scenes. I’m also excited to welcome My First Alert who are supporting my programme for the first time this year.”

The F1 Academy begins with a race weekend in Austria at the end of April, and the seven-round, 21-race series will conclude in Austin, Texas in October.


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