Abbi Pulling tops qualifying and takes pole for race 1 in Zandvoort while Doriane Pin on pole for race 2

Abbi Pulling and Doriane Pin (pictured) will start race 1 and race 2 respectively from pole position. Credit: James Sutton - Formula 1 via Getty Images

British talent and Alpine Academy Rodin Motorsport driver Abbi Pulling topped a wet qualifying at Zandvoort to take pole position for race 1 on Saturday morning.

Pulling showed good enough pace to top the qualifying classification with a 1:46.746 and therefore with that being her best lap time, she will start Saturday's race 1 from pole position as her best time was quicker than the rest of the drivers.

For race 2, there will be a change of pole sitter for the first time in six races as Doriane Pin, the Mercedes backed Prema driver, will start from pole position. The French talent had the quickest second time out of anyone and will therefore start from the front.

In the qualifying classification, Pulling was clear by a tenth, ahead of Doriane Pin, who was in second place overall. Nerea Marti was third for Campos. Marti is backed by clothing brand Tommy Hilfiger.

​Pulling has a 66-point lead in the standings coming into the event, with Pin in second place - level on point with Chloe Chambers in third.

How F1 Academy qualifying unfolded at Zandvoort for round 4

Saturday morning would roll around and it would mean qualifying time for the F1 Academy qualifying, on qualifying Saturday at the Zandvoort circuit for round four of the 2024 F1 Academy championship.

In F1 Academy the two best times are taken from each driver to form the grid for both races taking place on Saturday late-afternoon and Sunday morning. Abbi Pulling would be favourite for taking pole position as she had taken pole position for both races in the last two rounds.

Pulling had started the weekend off in the best possible way, by finishing top of both practice sessions on Friday.

Rain would fall on Saturday morning on Zandvoort making it a wet and tricky circuit presenting great challenges for the 16 drivers participating across the weekend. To have as much time as possible, the drivers headed out on track as soon as the session began, with the green light on at the end of the pit lane.

Drivers would be trying to get to grips with the circuit ad on the exit of turn 3 Amna Al Qubaisi had a little spin but thankfully for her, she did an excellent job of getting it back going again and there would be green flags once more.

The track would improve throughout the first few laps and therefore a lot of the order would change about but the top two would be the constants with Abbi Pulling fastest and on provisional pole with Maya Weug in second place but after the first 12 minutes.

There would be over a second gap between the top two but both drivers would be looking to find time.

In between this action, Chloe Chambers would be the next driver to spin at the banked turn 3 corner but would do a good job of rejoining the circuit and keeping her car out of the wall. She would continue on in the session.

The track had improved again though as American Lia Block, of ART and backed by Williams, put her car into second and Doriane Pin put herself third on the timing pages.

With 10 minutes to go, after having some time in the pit lane reviewing track data and giving themselves a very short break, the drivers had headed back onto the circuit for the final 10 minutes of the session to try and improve their lap times.

On the first runs Doriane Pin would be one to improve to second but she would bump wildcard entry, Nina Gademen, down to third. Just moments before, Gademen put in a great lap time, in her very first qualifying session in F1 Academy.

Running would be halted though with six minutes and 33 seconds remaining as the red flag would be brought out. After spinning previously in the session at turn 3, and being able to keep it going, Bianca Bustamante would have hoping for better luck.

This was not to be as after not being able to slow the car down into turn 3, she would find the barrier and would be wedged in it, breaking he front right suspension and subsequently ending her session. It would leave her with a tough two races across the weekend.

After a short delay, the session would be restarted with the drivers heading back out for the final six minutes and to try and improve on their best times, in an attempt to further their grid positions.

The track would see a whole host of drivers improve including Aurelia Nobels, with a great lap to put herself provisionally into third, with Doriane Pin having to reclaim second from the Brazilian place.

Before long, the chequered flag would be out and only drivers on their final push laps could take to the line. Nerea Marti and Maya Weug would be among them and by the end they would go third and fourth respectively.

No one could take Abbi Pulling's fifth pole position in a row away though, as she would take pole position for race 1 later on Saturda, after topping the qualifying session by just over a tenth to Doriane Pin.

The Alpine Academy backed Rodin of Pulling set a 1:46.746 and that would be unmatched by the field, but Pin would run it close in second place. Nerea Marti would compete the top three in classification and start there for race 1. 

Maya Weug took fourth for Ferrari and Prema, ahead of Aurelia Nobels in fifth for Puma and ART. Wildcard entry Nina Gademan had a brilliant session for her future, with sixth place around her home event.

After a difficult first 20 minutes of the 30-minute session, Chloe Chambers would end the session well to finish seventh, ahead of Williams-backed ART driver Lia Block, who was eighth.

Hamda Al Qubaisi was ninth for MP Motorsport with British, Rodin Motorsport driver Jessica Edgar completing the top 10 of classification and that would be the top 10 for race 1.

Doriane Pin had the quickest second best lap time out of the 16 and therefore would go from pole position in race 2. Race 2 would commence on Sunday morning but before that, in the late Saturday evening race 1 will take place.

​Abbi Pulling will start race 1 from pole position, with a chance to extend her championship lead beyond 66 points.
 

2024 F1 Academy Championship: Round 4 - qualifying provisional classification

1. Abbi Pulling (Great Britain, Rodin Motorsport)
2. Doriane Pin (France, Prema Racing)
3. Nerea Marti (Spain, Campos Racing)
4. Maya Weug (Netherlands, Prema Racing)
5. Aurelia Nobels (Brazil, ART Grand Prix)
6. Nina Gademan (Netherlands, Prema Racing) *WILDCARD ENTRY*
7. Chloe Chambers (United States, Campos Racing)
8. Lia Block (United States, ART Grand Prix)
9. Hamda Al Qubaisi (United Arab Emirates, MP Motorsport)
10. Jessica Edgar (Great Britain, Rodin Motorsport)
11. Carrie Schreiner (Germany, Campos Racing)
12. Tina Hausmann (Switzerland, Prema Racing)
13. Lola Lovinfosse (France, Rodin Motorsport)
14. Bianca Bustamante (Philippines, ART Grand Prix)
15. Emely De Heus (Netherlands, MP Motorsport)
16. Amna Al Qubaisi (United Arab Emirates, MP Motorsport)

Brandon Whiteside
​Writer - F1 Journal