After a challenging first practice session, which saw Prema Racing and Mercedes Junior Team’s Doriane Pin (PIN) top the timesheet, ahead of championship leader, Abbi Pulling (PUL), F1 Academy returns to the Lusail International Circuit for the second and final practice session of the race weekend.
Pulling will hope that this session goes smoother than the last. Despite setting the second-fastest time, the Rodin Motorsport and Alpine Academy driver was stuck in her garage with a technical issue for more than half of the practice run. She will be hoping to make up for the time lost and to improve her familiarity with the tricky circuit.
This is a critical weekend for Pulling’s title fight. With 245 points, she currently sits 95 points ahead of Pin in second place and needs only 18 points this Qatar GP weekend to secure her first championship. Pulling can secure the title as early as Saturday if she finishes P1 or P2 in Race 1.
Green light!
FP2 of the F1 Academy Qatar GP weekend gets underway as the light goes green. Except for MP Motorsport’s Emely de Heus (DEH), supported by Red Bull Ford, the drivers are quick to get out onto the track. However, after a lap around, many return to the pits, some for a change of visor and others, including Pulling, for a practice start.
Despite this being a practice session, the teams and their drivers are already looking ahead to Saturday’s qualifying. Given their lack of familiarity with the track, and the difficult conditions, all are eager to avoid the loss of any time.
One driver, however, who will lose some precious minutes this practice session is Bianca Bustamante (BUS). The ART Grand Prix driver, who is also a member of the McLaren Driver Development Program, spins at Turn 6 and will need to return to the pitlane for her car to be checked.
10 minutes done!
With the first ten minutes of the session now done, Abbi Pulling, the favourite for the weekend, sits at the top of the timesheet with a lap time of 1:56.038. Campos Racing’s Chloe Chambers (CHA), associated with the Haas F1 Team, sits just behind in second with a time of 1:56.644. Pulling’s Rodin Motorsport teammate, Jessica Edgar (EDG), supported by American Express, rounds out the top three with a time of 1:56.644.
Prema Racing and Ferrari Driver Academy’s Maya Weug (WEU), who currently sits third in the Drivers’ Championship with 120 points, jumps from P4 to P2. However, she drops to P3 as wildcard entry, Alisha Palmowski, also driving with Prema Racing, goes second.
25 minutes left!
However, with just 25 minutes left, Weug goes fastest, setting a time of 1:56.025. Within a minute, she is drops to second, with Pulling setting a new fastest time of 1:55.785. Palmowski rounds out the top three with a time of 1:56.218.
With just under 23 minutes remaining in the session, Dorianne Pin goes fourth with a time of 1:56.233. Despite a dominant performance in the earlier FP1, she has struggled this session, failing to make it into the top 3. She will be hoping to improve her performance on track, if not during today’s session then in tomorrow’s qualifying.
Bustamante, who had been in the pit lane ever since her early spin in Turn 6, has finally returned to the track. She goes P14 with her first attempt at a flying lap. Bustamante, who sits seventh in the championship after a mixed season will be hoping to improve her luck this weekend. She finished fifth in FP1.
First half of F1 Academy FP2 session complete!
The first half of the F1 Academy FP2 session comes to an end. The drivers have now all returned to the pitlane for tyre and set-up changes. With just 20 minutes remaining, the standings are: PUL, WEU, PAL, PIN, CHA, EDG, HAL, NOB, BLO, MAR, AAL, DEH, LOV, BUS, HAU, SCH. Although they soon return to the track, there are no changes to the order on the timesheet in the first five minutes of the second half of the session.
With just about ten minutes left in the session, ART Grand Prix and Williams Drivers’ Academy’s Lia Block (BLO) goes third. She falls to fourth as Chambers gets ahead of Weug to put the second-fastest time on the time sheet.
Block’s ART Grand Prix’s Aurelia Nobels (NOB), supported by PUMA, goes fifth, but quickly falls to eights, as Block, Edgar and MP Motorsport and Red Bull Academy’s Hamda Al Qubaisi improve their times.
With just over five minutes left in the session, Dorianne Pin goes to the top of the timesheet for the first time this session. Abbi Pulling attempts to return to the top, but is unable to outperform Pin.
5 minutes left!
With just under five minutes left in the session, Palmowski goes top with a time of 1:54.936. She is not likely to hold on to her position at the top of the timesheet, however, as most drivers are attempting to improve their times.
With just over three minutes remaining in the session, Pin goes fastest but drops to P2 as Pulling sets a new fastest lap of 1:54.895. Palmowski sits third, with Weug just behind in P4. Both are attempting another flying lap around the circuit as the session gets into its final minute. However, neither can improve their position. Further back, Hamda Al Qubaisi is noted for impeding Bianca Bustamante. She will receive a reprimand for this incident.
Chequered flag
The chequered flag falls, bringing an end to FP2 as the drivers complete their final lap around the circuit. Doriane Pin goes fastest, claiming P1, ahead of Abbi Pulling. This will be promising for Pin, who also topped FP1. However, she will need to maintain this form during both races, and will need luck on her side if she is to keep the title championship fight alive.
Final standings
With the drivers now back in the pitlane, the final standings of the F1 Academy FP2 are: PIN, PUL, PAL, WEU, HAL, EDG, BLO, DEH, CHA, BUS, HAY, MAR, NOB, SCH, AAL, LOV.
