Fresh from being re-confirmed as F1 Academy champion yesterday, Abbi Pulling took her eighth win of the season in race one at Yas Marina.
She took the lead from Chloe Chambers, who passed pulling at the started but threw away her chance of victory on the opening lap.Hamda Al Qubaisi finished in second with Pulling former title rival Doriane Pin completing the podium in third.
Despite starting on pole for the eighth time in the season, Pulling lost the lead when the lights went out as Chambers leapt into the lead before the first corner. Pulling refused to let Chambers get away, however, and kept her under pressure throughout the opening lap.
Entering turn nine, Chambers lost control of her car and spun, while Pulling motored by into the lead. Rather than wait for the field to pass, Chambers rejoined the track while the rest of the cars rounded the corner, forcing some towards the back to take avoiding action. Chambers was handed a five second penalty for rejoining unsafely.
Chambers’ spin promoted Hamda Al Qubaisi into second place in her home race and Emely de Heus into third with Pin in fourth. While Pulling built up her lead out front, Pin passed De Heus for third and began to catch Al Qubaisi in second.
Rodin asked Pulling to consider backing off to give Al Qubaisi a tow to help her defend from the Prema driver to help Rodin’s prospects in the team’s championship, but Pulling did not seem interested. The champion remained comfortably ahead and took the chequered flag to secure her eighth win of the season. Al Qubaisi held her nerve under sustained pressure from Pin over the final laps to take second place, with the Mercedes-backed driver completing the podium.
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De Heus finished fourth ahead of McLaren-backed driver Bianca Bustamante. Nerea Marti claimed sixth ahead of Maya Weug, Amna Al Qubaisi and Carrie Schreiner with Aurelia Nobels taking the final point in tenth. Chambers took the chequered flag ninth but dropped to 11th after her penalty.
Race result
| Position | Car | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Abbi Pulling | Rodin |
| 2 | 8 | Hamda Al Qubaisi | MP |
| 3 | 28 | Doriane Pin | Prema |
| 4 | 7 | Emely De Heus | MP |
| 5 | 16 | Bianca Bustamante | ART |
| 6 | 30 | Nerea Marti | Campos |
| 7 | 64 | Maya Weug | Prema |
| 8 | 88 | Amna Al Qubaisi | MP |
| 9 | 15 | Carrie Schreiner | Campos |
| 10 | 22 | Aurelia Nobels | ART |
| 11 | 14 | Chloe Chambers | Campos |
| 12 | 57 | Courtney Crone | Prema |
| 13 | 3 | Lola Lovinfosse | Rodin |
| 14 | 54 | Logan Hannah | Prema |
| 15 | 19 | Tina Hausmann | Prema |
| 16 | 17 | Jessica Edgar | Rodin |
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F1 Academy
- Weug finally claims first victory in frantic F1 Academy season finale
- Pulling claims ninth win of season after another mistake by Chambers
- F1 Academy’s extra Yas Marina race technically reopens title fight
- Damaged barrier forces cancellation of second F1 Academy race at Losail
- Pulling seals F1 Academy title with three races to spare as Pin wins Losail opener
Picasso 1.9D FTW (@picasso-19d-ftw)
7th December 2024, 9:31
Congratulations to Aurelia Nobels on placing both 10th and 14th. I’m unsure how to calculate her unified position. Is it 14, or 19, or 12, the average of 10 and 14? Or is it the higher place subtracted from the lower? The lower from the higher? Much respect regardless, it’s a heck of an achievement.
SteveP
7th December 2024, 12:06
Somewhat farcical messed up points allocation before the rerun of the second race from Qatar as first race at Abu Dhabi.
Abby Pulling goes into Qatar weekend 95 points ahead, picks up 18 point in first race vs. 28 for Pin, so the championship gap is 85 with 84 on the table – clinched it by one point with three races to go.
Pin has the two points for pole in the second race, but that’s cancelled. OK, gap is 83 points with 56 on the table, even more of a win.
FIA declare the second race from Qatar will run as the first race at AD, right, move on, we know Pin has the pole points for that race so there’s only 26 available (as normal) for the actual race.
No? FIA declare they are re-running the qualification and it will count for all three races so there’s 84 points on the table, but Pin keeps the two points for the race that never was, and the title is not yet done.
Only the FIA could screw things up quite so magnificently.
The, possible, saving grace for all the embarrassment, AP takes all three poles. Then just to be certain she takes the win and fastest lap. 100 gap, 52 on the table. Even the FIA can’t screw it up from there.
Can they?
Dave
7th December 2024, 13:50
Sounds about right for a feeder series that really shouldn’t be on the F1 support bill
amped
7th December 2024, 13:56
The FIA aren’t to blame for it, F1 Academy is not a FIA series. The FIA isn’t involved in the running at all.
The mismanagement comes from F1, who set up & organise it. Blame Domenicalli, Wolff & co.