Abbi Pulling has set her sights on Formula 1 after claiming the F1 Academy title, acknowledging the challenges still ahead but confident that time is on her side. The 21-year-old Briton, a member of Alpine F1’s academy, has secured a fully-funded seat with Rodin Motorsport to compete in Britain’s GB3 series next season.
“I’m still aiming for Formula One, but I believe we won’t see a female making an entry as young as a 17-year-old Max Verstappen,” she told media after clinching her title twice in one week. “The reality is that a 16-year-old girl wouldn’t have the physical strength needed to handle a Formula Two car.”
“For a more mature, more developed female build it will be more possible to drive that car and fight for an opportunity to get to Formula One. When, not if, we see a woman in Formula One, it will be older, mid-20s, I would say.”
We were just waiting eagerly to post this…🤩
Abbi Pulling is crowned F1 Academy Champion – a well deserved championship win. pic.twitter.com/iE44bY70tD
— Motorsport UK (@ourmotorsportuk) December 9, 2024
Formula 1, featuring cars equipped with power steering, unlike the current F2 vehicles, has not seen a female driver since the late Italian Lella Lombardi competed in 1976. While all-female series such as the now-defunct W Series and F1 Academy have faced criticism for gender segregation.
“They (boys) start testing at 14 all around the country and Europe — then they do Italian, German, and UAE F4, which alone is a million, and that’s when they’re 15 or 16,” she said.
“They do that for two years… then they go into FRECA (Formula Regional Europe) or GB3 or sometimes both. Then they do 30-40 test days in that regard. If I could afford to do that, yeah, I’d do that and continue against the guys.”
Motorsport history is filled with stories of talented drivers unable to advance due to financial limitations, and Pulling almost became one of them. Supported by her engineer father, she was forced to exit British F4 in 2021 when funding dried up. This year, Pulling, who began her single-seater journey at 17, made a comeback to British F4 with Rodin, becoming the first female driver to secure a race victory in the series.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
