By Luke-John Buckle
Alpine Academy member Abbi Pulling says “it’s a great time to be a female in motorsport” as the French team launch the ambitious Rac(H)er programme.
The British driver will compete in F1 Academy this season for Rodin Carlin alongside Jessica Edgar in the series inaugural campaign.
In an exclusive interview with Pit Debrief at the launch of the Alpine A523, Pulling explained that now is a superb moment to be a female in motorsport with the start of the Rac(H)er programme which aims to open more opportunities for women to work within the team.
“It’s a great time to be a female in motorsport and things like the Rac(H)er programme coming into place and helping promote females and develop them which is a huge thing.
“I almost wish I was eight years old again with all these programmes coming into place, so I want to help these younger females.”
The 19-year-old explained that W Series race winner Alice Powell has had a huge impact in helping the younger female drivers.
“Alice is the main driving force in developing them but any advice that I can pass down I’ll always offer round.”
Pulling is delighted to be racing with Rodin Carlin in F1 Academy and is heading into the campaign with ambitions of winning races and putting together a title challenge.
“I’m really excited to be competing in F1 Academy with Rodin Carlin.
“I think it’s going to be a really good year, I’ve got a great team around me, they’re focused on development.
“I want to push for the title and get some race wins under my belt, so that’s the target, so high expectations.
“I’m not going to go into it with trying to set my expectations too high, it would be nice to end the year with that basically.”
Carlin have produced top class talent including current F1 race winners George Russell and Carlos Sainz Jr.
Pulling has already used Carlin’s simulator and is very much looking forward to the season getting underway.
“I’m there (at Rodin Carlin) quite often at the moment working with Rodin Carlin doing a lot of sim work and soon we’ll get back out in the car which I’m getting really giddy for.
“I’m really excited to get back behind the wheel, it feels like forever so I think the development path is there.”
The Alpine Academy member explained that there are no confirmed plans for her to drive a Formula 1 car this year but she is hoping to drive the 2021 Alpine A521 in a test.
“There’s nothing on the cards at the moment. It’ll be great to get behind the wheel on a proper test day and get behind the wheel of the A521 which they use quite a bit.
“But nothing planned hopefully I’ll do some stuff in the demo car in the E20 which I did last year, obviously going to Saudi and doing the A League Of Their Own shooting so anything like that is always good fun.”
Motorsport has become increasingly expensive making gathering sponsorship ever more important for drivers to get a drive.
Pulling delved into the agony and stress of getting backing over the winter but emphasised that everything is positive ahead of the new season.
“It’s stressful, I go to the gym every morning but every afternoon is trying to get back on the grid and luckily with the help of Alpine, my first alert and gazing performance I’ve managed to get on the grid again.
“It’s just very stressful I’m like my own marketing (director). I should have my own diploma by the end of this year but it’s all going in positive directions and lots of conversations are being had.”
Photo: Alpine
