The victory is claimed by Doriane Pin, but it is Abbi Pulling who takes the Title with her second-place finish. Here are the results of Race 1 in Qatar for the F1 Academy!
Under the lights of the Qatari desert, the first race of the F1 Academy weekend has just concluded. In Lusail, the first winner of the weekend was Doriane Pin, who dominated both the free practice sessions and qualifying, securing pole positions for both Race 1 and Race 2. She also took the race victory, with Abbi Pulling and Maya Weug completing the podium. Hamda Al Qubaisi, Alisha Palmowski, Lia Block, Nerea Martì, Jessica Edgar, Bianca Bustamante, and Chloe Chambers rounded out the top 10.
Abbi Pulling only needed 16 points to secure the title and succeed Marta García as the 2024 F1 Academy Champion. Looking back at the season’s opening race in Jeddah, it seemed like Doriane Pin was the driver to beat, having dominated that weekend. However, throughout the season, Abbi Pulling established a commanding lead, opening up a gap of nearly 100 points at the start of the sixth round in Qatar.
In conclusion, with a weekend to spare and having earned the necessary points, the Alpine driver sealed the Drivers’ Title, marking the culmination of a dominant campaign for the British driver. Supported by the Enstone team and part of Rodin Motorsport, her supremacy in the championship was undeniable.
Race 1 Summary of the F1 Academy
The lights went out in Qatar for Race 1, with Doriane Pin making a strong start from pole position, while Abbi Pulling managed to slot between the two PREMA drivers and move into second place. Maya Weug dropped to third, with Hamda Al Qubaisi closing in behind her. Further back, Jessica Edgar and Chloe Chambers were battling for ninth position, while Bianca Bustamante (in 8th) went off into the gravel, allowing the American Express-supported driver to gain a position.
During the fifth lap, an investigation notice was issued for a potential false start by the American driver in the Haas F1 Team livery, as well as for Tina Hausmann in the Aston Martin livery. Meanwhile, at the front, Doriane Pin was flying, setting fast laps and extending her lead over Abbi Pulling to +2.654 seconds.
While the top positions were settled with the title within reach for Pulling, the real action was in the mid-field. Chloe Chambers successfully overtook Aurelia Nobels for 10th place, though the Brazilian driver began to struggle. Emily de Heus passed Carrie Schreiner for 12th. In a dramatic twist, with two laps remaining, Bianca Bustamante spun out but managed to recover and rejoin the race just in time.
Doriane Pin crossed the line to take her third career victory, with Abbi Pulling finishing second, earning 18 points—two more than necessary to secure the championship. Maya Weug completed the podium in third. The next race will take place at 12:00 (CET) tomorrow morning for Race 2 of the penultimate round of the F1 Academy in Qatar.
Photos: F1 Academy.