Just hours after Rodin Motorsport’s Abbi Pulling’s record-breaking eighth F1 Academy race win of the season, Abbi Pulling earned her ninth, albeit under Safety Car conditions, after a fierce fight with Campos Racing’s Chloe Chambers during the Abu Dhabi GP F1 Academy Race 2.
Abu Dhabi GP F1 Academy starting grid
The front row
Starting at the front of the grid, was championship winner, Pulling, just ahead of Chambers (CHA). After an excellent performance during Friday’s qualifying, the American driver, supported by Haas, qualified P2 for all three races. However, despite briefly taking the lead in Lap 1 of Race 1, she was unable to capitalise on this. She finished P11, after being handed a 5-second penalty for unsafely rejoing the track after a Lap 1 spin.
The second row
Starting third was Red Bull Academy’s Hamda Al Qubaisi (HAL), driving with MP Motorsport. H. Al Qubaisi took the second podium finish of her final F1 Academy season in Race 1. She is one of nine drivers set to graduate from the series. H. Al Quabaisi, like her sister Amna (AAL), and Abbi Pulling, has reached the end of her maximum two-season stint.
Alongside H. Al Qubaisi was ART Grand Prix’s Bianca Bustamante (BUS). She finished fifth in Race 1, adding another ten points to her tally in the Drivers’ championship. After a mixed season, she started Race 2 seventh in the drivers’ championship with just 67 points. Bustamante, a member of the McLaren Driver Development Programme, has had a less-than-ideal season. Set to leave F1 Academy after the Abu Dhabi GP, she will aim for a strong season finish.
The third row
Prema Racing locked out the third row of the starting grid. Mercedes Drivers’ Academy Doriane Pin (PIN) started fifth and Ferrari Driver Academy’s Maya Weug (WEU) started sixth. Both drivers, who currently sit second and third in the drivers’ championship, suffered a difficult Friday qualifying session. Despite starting Race 1 from P5, Pin secured herself a podium finish. She finished third with a gap of 0.696 seconds to H. Al Qubaisi. Weug, however, was unable to improve on her P7 starting position. She finished 23.263 seconds behind race winner Pulling.
Final starting line-up
The starting line-up for the F1 Academy Race 2 was: PUL, CHA, HAL, BUS, PIN, WEU, MAR, BLO, DEH, SCH, HAU, LOV, AAL, NOB, EDG, HAN.
As the clock struck 20:15, the sixteen drivers took off on their formation lap, led by pole-sitter Pulling. They all successfully returned to their starting position, setting the grid as they waited for the start.
Abu Dhabi GP F1 Academy Race 2 underway
As the lights went green, Abbi Pulling was quick off the line. She took the lead, ahead of Chambers, as H. Al Quabaisi keeping third. Pin made up a place, getting ahead of Bustamante. Despite starting P4, Bustamante fell to seventh, behind Campos Racing’s Nerea Martí (MAR) who takes P5 and Weug in P6.
Pulling did not hold on to her lead for long as Chambers went down the inside. In the first lap to the race, she took the lead of the race. She quickly put 0.7 between herself and Pulling before getting into the second lap. Pulling locked up going into the corner. She was unable to recover sufficiently to defeat her position.
At the back of the grid, there was a collision between Rodin Motorsports’ Lola Lovinfosse and Campos Racing’s Carrie Schreiner (SCH). This has been noted by race control. Schreiner’s car was damaged and the driver was forced to return to the pitlane for a tyre change. She subsequently retired from the race.
Amna Al Quabaisi made her way up to P9 from P13 in Lap 1. She was, however, handed a 10-second time penalty after being found to have gained an advantage after leaving the track.
Abu Dhabi GP F1 Academy Race 2 mid-race standings
Into Lap 8, Abbi Pulling reclaimed lead of the race. She quickly put a 0.4 second gap between herself and Chambers. However, Chambers was relentless, keeping up her fight for the win. Pulling, however, defended well to keep her lead.
Behind them, H. Al Qubaisi and Pin were locked into fierce battle for the final podium position. H. Al Quabaisi defended well throughout the first half of the race.
With half of the race complete, the standings were: PUL, CHA, HAL, PIN, MAR, WEU, BUS, DEH, AAL, HAU, BLO, NOB, EDG, LOV, HAN and SCH. ART Grand Prix’s Lia Block (BLO), however, was handed a 5-second time penalty for a false start.
With five laps remaining Weug got ahead of Martí to take P5. However, the Spanish driver kept on her tail, fighting to reclaim the position. Bustamante too, joined the fight for P5, benefitting from a double tow provided by the two drivers ahead of her.
By Lap 11, Pulling built up a lead of about 1.4 seconds ahead of Chambers. Bustamante took P6 ahead of Martí, but Martí quickly reclaimed this after a brief but intense fight. In the mid-field, de Haus, A. Al Qubaiai, and Hausmann battled for P8. MP Motorsports’ Emely de Haus (DEH) kept ahead of A. Al Qubaisi and Tina Hausmann to hold on to P8. Prema Racing’s Hausmann, however, claimed P9 ahead of A. Al Qubaisi. Into Lap 12, Block claimed P10, dropping A. Al Qubaisi out of the points.
Safety Car
The yellow flag was brought out in Sector 3. Lovinfosse and Edgar collided, sending the former into the wall. Edgar was forced to pull to the side. The Safety Car was brought out as two of the three Rodin Motorsport drivers retired early.
Another incident between Block and A. Al Qubaisi was noted by race control.
Pulling wins Abu Dhabi GP F1 Academy Race 2
With both cars needing to be recovered from the track, the race finished under Safety Car conditions. This granted Pulling her ninth win of the season, ahead of Chambers who finished P2. H. Al Quabaisi completed the podium, having held off Pin throughout the race. Pin’s teammate Weug completed the top 5.
With penalties applied to both Block and A. Al Qubaisi, the final standings of the race were: PUL, CHA, HAL, PIN, WEU, MAR, BUS, DEH, HAU, HAN, NOB, BLO and AAL. Chambers set the fastest lap time of 1:56.623 on Lap 10.
The sixteen drivers will take to the Yas Marina Circuit for a final time on Sunday. Race 3 is set to get underway at 11:15 local time (08:15 CET).