Abbi Pulling is still a long way from reaching Formula 1 after winning the all-female F1 Academy title, but it’s still the goal and she believes time is on her side.
The 21-year-old Briton, who is part of Renault’s Alpine F1 team’s academy, will secure a fully funded seat in next year’s British GB3 series with Rodin Motorsport.
The next rungs on the ladder will be Formula 3 and Formula 2.
A recent trend has seen drivers in their early 20s and late teens joining Formula 1 – now four-time world champion Max Verstappen is the youngest – but Pulling is undeterred .
“My goal is still to get into Formula One and I think if we saw a woman there we wouldn’t have a 17-year-old Max Verstappen-type competitor,” she told us Reuters Her season ended with two championship wins in one week.
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“A 16-year-old girl is not strong enough to drive a Formula 2 car. That’s the harsh reality.
“For a more mature, more developed woman, she would be more likely to drive this car and strive for a chance to get into Formula One.
“When, not if, we see a woman in Formula One, she will be older – I would say in her 20s.”
Unlike current F2 cars, Formula One has power steering and has not had a female driver since the late Italian Lella Lombardi in 1976.
All-female championships like the now-defunct W Series and F1 Academy have been criticized for being gender segregated, but Pring says that misses the point – money.
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“They (boys) start testing at 14 years old across the country and Europe, then they do F4 testing in Italy, Germany and the UAE, and that alone is a million, and by then they’re 15 or 16, ” she said.
“They do this for two years…then they go into FRECA (European Regional Formula Championship) or GB3, sometimes both. Then they do 30-40 days of testing on that. If I can afford it, yes Yeah, I’m going to do that and keep fighting these guys.
“Unfortunately, in my situation, I can’t do that. That’s where the F1 Academy is so important.
“It shouldn’t be needed, but it is needed. That’s the sad reality. I hope it lasts for a long time and keeps providing opportunities for girls who are in my position and wouldn’t get by without it.”
British and Rodin Motorsport race winner Abbi Pulling waves to the crowd during the second race of Round 7 of the F1 Academy. Photo credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images
British and Rodin Motorsport race winner Abbi Pulling waves to the crowd during the second race of Round 7 of the F1 Academy. Photo credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images
Motorsport history is littered with people who failed to progress because talent and money just didn’t match up. Ra almost joined them.
Funded by her engineer father, she had to leave British F4 in 2021 because she ran out of cash.
“We were comfortable, but in the scheme of motorsport we were far from that,” she said of her background. “We don’t even have tens or hundreds of thousands, let alone millions.”
Pulling is able to continue racing through the W Series (without any financial contribution) and the F1 Academy.
“Without these two championships, I wouldn’t be standing here today,” she said. “That’s for sure…so I’m forever grateful that it allowed my dream to come true.”
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Pullin, who began racing single-seaters at the age of 17, returned to British F4 this year with Rodin and became the first female race winner in the series.
Her mentor Alice Powell was the first woman to score points in GP3 (now Formula Three) and win the Formula Renault title, but after running out of cash she became a plumber work.
“It’s really unfortunate that she’s been out of her seat for five years before she can get back into the game,” Pullin said. “Having her in my corner, you know, she doesn’t want to see a similar fate for me.”
As Formula One racing grows in popularity, the number of girls participating in karting at a grassroots level is steadily increasing. Netflix The documentary series “Road to Survive”, the initiative continues to grow.
“This is a positive moment for women in the sport right now,” Prine said.
“As long as I perform well, I’m confident that with the support system around me, I’ll be able to keep going.”
