Photo credits: F1 Academy

Pulling had a good start off of the line, with Chambers following closely behind in second. However, Abbi suffered a lockup into turn 6 which allowed Chambers to overtake and take the lead of the race at turn 9. 

From there on, Chloe was able to pull away and create herself a comfortable lead ahead of the newly crowned champion. Hamda Al Qubaisi sat in third behind Pulling. 

Mercedes driver Pin was another driver who had a good start to the race, making early moves and advancing her way up into 4th. However, Mclaren driver Bustamante suffered a disappointing race start, dropping down to 7th on the first lap. 

There was plenty of entertainment at the back of the field as Sauber driver Carrie Schreiner was caught up in contact with Lovinfosse, sending the rear of her car airborne momentarily causing her to retire. Lovinfosse was quickly handed a 10 second penalty for her actions. 

The incident resulted in Amna, Nobels and Hannah having to take action in order to avoid the drama. The stewards then gave Al Qubaisi a 10 second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. 

Now halfway through the race, Chambers had half a second lead on Pulling but made an error into turn 12 by going too deep. Pulling close behind meant that she was able to perform the overtake and retake the lead of the race. 

Not far behind, Pin sat right behind Hamda, the both of them fighting for 3rd. It soon became apparent though that due to this, Dorianne's tyres were beginning to become a struggle for her. 

The battle for 5th was also thrilling as Marti and Weug fought as they had done during race one earlier in the day. After keeping the Ferrari driver at bay for the majority of the race, Weug finally managed to pass Marti on lap 10 who as a result would now have to focus on defending Bustamante who was on her tail. 

With only three laps left to go, Amna was yet to serve her penalty and remained on track fighting her teammate De Heus. Hausmann and Block soon joined in on the battle for 8th, but the Williams driver would soon receive a 5 second penalty for a jump start. Hausmann then pulled a brilliant overtake around the outside of Al Qubaisi to take 9th, with Block getting past the RB driver one lap later to take 10th. 

On lap 12, yellow flags were brought out as there was a collision between Lovinfosse and Edgar after the Charlotte Tilbury driver attempted to overtake on the inside at turn 9. This move saw her hit a kerb and bollard, clipping both Edgar and Nobels in the process. Jessica was able to drag her car to a safe area of the track, but the safety car would quickly be brought out as Lovinfosse's car needed to be recovered. 

The race ended under safety car conditions, Pulling cruised to take her 9th victory of the season with Chambers and Hamda following behind. Pin settled for 4th and Weug for 5th while Marti crossed the finish line ahead of Bustamante in 6th. 

Wildcard entry Logan Hannah earned her first point after being promoted to 10th due to the penalties from Block and Amna Al Qubaisi, the both of them respectively dropping to 12th and 13th. 

1) Abbi Pulling
2) Chloe Chambers / + 0.398
3) Hamda Al Qubaisi / + 0.833
4) Doriane Pin / + 1.155
5) Maya Weug / + 1.634
6) Nerea Marti / + 2.117
7) Bianca Bustamante / + 2.766
8) Emely De Heus / + 3.612
9) Tina Hausmann / + 4.038
10) Logan Hannah / + 6.525
11) Aurelia Nobels / + 7.113
12) Lia Block / + 10.330
13) Amna Al Qubaisi / + 15.019 
14) Lola Lovinfosse / DNF
15) Jessica Edgar / DNF
16) Carrie Schreiner / DNF

Written by Kelsie Jayes

Photo credits: F1 Academy

Haas driver Chloe Chambers had a great start, managing to take the lead of the race ahead of Abbi Pulling. However, this was short-lived at Chambers spun not long after allowing Pulling to take the lead of the race. 

Chambers was now back of the pack due to this spin, but it got worse for her as she rejoined the track unsafely resulting in a 5 second time penalty. 

Emely De Heus got a good start to the race, making up two positions off the line. Pulling led, followed by Hamda Al Qubaisi and De Heus. 

By lap 3, Mercedes driver Pin was up into third after making a move on Emely. Meanwhile further back on the grid there was a battle for the final points position. The fight was between Tina Hausmann and Lola Lovinfosse, but the two drivers made contact. Hausmann was given a 10 second time penalty for causing a collision which was then added to a 5 second time penalty she received for leaving the track and gaining an advantage earlier on in the race. 

Chloe Chambers was a witness of the collision between both Hausmann and Lovinfosse, but would shortly be tapped by Lovinfosse who was then sent into a spin. 

Up ahead at the front of the pack Pin continued to set fastest laps as she hunted down Hamda, closing the gap to only 0.290s by the penultimate lap. Despite her best efforts, she was unable to pass the Emirati driver. 

Abbi was able to increase her lead to 4.5, holding an impressive lead by the time she made her way to the chequered flag. 

1) Abbi Pulling
2) Hamda Al Qubaisi / + 4.572
3) Doriane Pin / + 5.268
4) Emely De Heus / + 11.597
5) Bianca Bustamante / + 13.120
6) Nerea Marti / + 23.077
7) Maya Weug / + 23.263
8) Amna Al Qubaisi / + 23.826
9) Carrie Schreiner / + 24.116
10) Aurelia Nobels / + 27.193
11) Chloe Chambers / + 28.937
12) Lia Block / + 30.910
13) Lola Lovinfosse / + 34.164
14) Logan Hannah / + 36.910
15) Tina Hausmann / + 39.779
16) Jessica Edgar / + 41.533

​Written by Kelsie Jayes. 

Photo credits: F1 Academy

Mclaren driver Bianca Bustamante was the first driver to go for a push lap. First off she set a lap time of 1:58:069 despite suffering from a impactful lock-up during it before improving with purple sectors across the board, placing herself 0.959s ahead of the rest of the grid. 

Pulling also struggled with her first lap, suffering from a lock-up during the middle sector of her lap. She bounced back however and set a lap time of 1:56:439.

Dutch driver Emely De Heus also looked rapid on track, and climbed her way up to second on the time sheet momentarily. 

10 minutes remained of the session, and Pulling remained in first with Chambers not far behind in second. This was short-lived as Pulling's championship rival Doriane Pin shot her way up to second. However, this was momentary as her lap time was deleted due to track limits meaning that with only 5 minutes left of the session she needed to put the work in to make her way back up. 

Pin was able to put herself into fourth with her next flying lap. Not long after she did this, home hero Hamda Al Qubaisi shot up to first with a time of 1:56:229. However, she was unable to improve her time further. 

With the session coming to an end, it was Alpine driver Abbi Pulling who shone above the rest. She improved her fastest time up to 1:56:801. Lucky for Haas driver Chloe Chambers, her time was enough to keep her comfortable in second. 

1) Abbi Pulling / 1:56:081
2) Chloe Chambers / + 0.120
3) Hamda Al Qubaisi / + 0.148
4) Bianca Bustamante / + 0.308
5) Doriane Pin / + 0.403
6) Emely De Heus / + 0.598
7) Maya Weug / + 0.639
8) Nerea Marti / + 0.673
9) Carrie Schreiner / + 0.773
10) Lia Block / + 0.775
11) Tina Hausmann / + 0.788
12) Lola Lovinfosse / + 1.072
13) Amna Al Qubaisi / + 1.180
14) Aurelia Nobels / + 1.246
15) Jessica Edgar / + 1.250
16) Logan Hannah / + 1.952

1) Abbi Pulling / 1:56:120
2) Chloe Chambers / + 0.135
3) Hamda Al Qubaisi / + 0.283
4) Bianca Bustamante / + 0.308
5) Doriane Pin / + 0.407
6) Maya Weug / + 0.647
7) Nerea Marti / + 0.665
8) Lia Block / + 0.747
9) Emely De Heus / + 0.748
10) Carrie Schreiner / + 0.758
11) Tina Hausmann / + 0.780
12) Lola Lovinfosse / + 1.151
13) Amna Al Qubaisi / + 1.219
14) Aurelia Nobels / + 1.247
15) Jessica Edgar / + 1.254
16) Logan Hannah / + 2.000

1) Abbi Pulling / 1:56:267
2) Chloe Chambers / + 0.146
3) Doriane Pin / + 0.265
4) Hamda Al Qubaisi / + 0.280 
5) Bianca Bustamante / + 0.427
6) Maya Weug / + 0.561
7) Nerea Marti / + 0.561
8) Lia Block / + 0.649
9) Tina Hausmann / + 0.650
10) Emely De Heus / + 0.698
11) Carrie Schreiner / + 0.962
12) Jessica Edgar / + 1.114
13) Aurelia Nobels / + 1.234
14) Amna Al Qubaisi / + 1.243
15) Lola Lovinfosse / + 1.312
16) Logan Hannah / + 2.462

​Written by Kelsie Jayes.

Photo credits: F1 Academy 

Abbi Pulling was the first driver to set a time, putting in a lap of 2:01:401. With only 4 times on the board in 10 minutes, Pulling decided to go out and set another. She crossed the line setting a time of 1:57:182 which put her almost 2 tenths ahead of her Rodin teammate Jessica Edgar. 

Home hero Hamda Al Qubaisi moved up into second before setting a lap of 1:57:099, moving up to top of the time sheet. 

Mclaren driver Bianca Bustamante moved up into P1 for a brief moment before Hamda pushed some more and set a time of 1:56:662, two tenths clear of Bustamante. Qubaisi continued to push and ended up extending the gap further to 0.435s 

With not long remaining of the session, Pulling came back and went fastest with a lap time of 1:56:527 which was fastest by 0.128s. Pulling then continued to improve her time, going on to set a 1:56:313 which had now increased her lead by over three tenths. 

However, Chloe Chambers had one last improvement left and drove her Haas to P1 with a time of 1:56:175.

1) Chloe Chambers / 1:56:175
2) Abbi Pulling / + 0.1
3) Doriane Pin / + 0.1
4) Hamda Al Qubaisi / + 0.1
5) Bianca Bustamante / + 0.6
6) Nerea Marti / + 0.7
7) Jessica Edgar / + 0.7
8) Amna Al Qubaisi / + 0.8
9) Tina Hausmann / + 1.1
10) Aurelia Nobels / + 1.1
11) Emely De Heus / + 1.1
12) Carrie Schreiner + 1.2
13) Lia Block / + 1.3
14) Maya Weug / + 1.4
15) Lola Lovinfosse / + 1.5
16) Logan Hannah / + 3.2

​Written by Kelsie Jayes

Just like Formula One and FIA Formula 2, the F1 Academy championship is set to conclude this coming weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit, in Abu Dhabi, as Abbi Pulling looks to re-claim championship due to additional points available.

Pulling had originally claimed the championship in race 1 on Saturday in Qatar but she will need to try and clinch it again as following the race 2 being cancelled on Sunday, the race has been reinstated as a third to be run in Abu Dhabi. 

Instead of using the grid set in the Qatar qualifying for that weekend's race 2, there will be an additional two points for whichever driver takes pole for race three on Sunday. This therefore makes 84 points available with the three races remaining to be run across the weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit. The gap between Abbi Pulling and Doriane Pin in the championship is 83 points.

This means that Pulling just needs one championship point across the weekend to become champion, which is almost certain you would expect, given that she has been on the podium for ever single race out of the 11 so far and has won seven out of the 11.

In addition, the teams championship is still to be decided. Prema sit in a healthy position with a 28-point lead over Rodin Motorsport at the top of the standings and look likely to clinch it in the season's final round,

For the final piece of racing action in 2024, the F1 Academy Championship will descend on the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi with both championships set to be decided with this being the very first time F1 Academy will go racing around this iconic venue for a season finale.

It is not a circuit totally unfamiliar to the F1 Academy championship as a few days of mid-season testing took place around the circuit to get some experience under the belt of drivers who has never raced at the circuit before, which could be an aid for them as they head towards a season finale that will have the eyes of the Formula One world watching.

If the drivers perform well here in this final round where the eyes of the motorsport world will be watching, this could assist them in their futures as they look to pursue seats in other championships to continue their feeder series progression.

The Yas Marina Circuit is made up of 16 corners and has a lap distance of 5.281km which will present challenges for the drivers with long straights and different variations of corners. There are many overtaking opportunities around this circuit which the drivers may want to take advantage of. 

Unlike Formula One, no DRS is in use in the championship, but the best overtaking opportunities will still be in the DRS areas - on the run down to turns six and nine. 

There will be three races to come across the weekend, each lasting 14 laps each, which is roughly equal to 73.934km. As no F1 Academy racing has occured around the circuit prior to this weekend's round, there is no lap record.

For the sixth time out of the seven rounds and for the final time this season, the F1 Academy championship will have an additional driver on the grid to make the total 16 drivers as there will be another wildcard entry taking to the track.

Following on from last weekend's Brit Alisha Palmowski, who was the wildcard entry in Qatar, this coming weekend's wildcard entry is Logan Hannah.

Hannah was born in Scotland, but this weekend will race under a UAE licence according to F1 Academy media. This follows her having spent 12 years of her live living in the country.

The 22-year old will be backed by Away, which is a leading luggage brand that had recently signed a partnership with the F1 Academy championship. They will support her throughout the weekend as Hannah will drive in a car with the Away-branded livery and Hannah will race the number 54 car.

Speaking to F1 Academy's media team, Hannah said: "This is an incredible opportunity for me to race on an unparalleled platform. As someone who loves to travel and experience new places, it's amazing to be supported by a brand like Away that not only celebrates exploration but is also dedicated to empowering women."

Brandon Whiteside
Writer & X Contributor - F1 Journal

Following race 2 of the F1 Academy round at Qatar, a third race has been reinstated as part of the Abu Dhabi weekend, meaning British driver Abbi Pulling is no longer the current champion.

Pulling was crowned the champion at the end of race 1 in Qatar following her finishing second, as her championship rival Doriane Pin took victory. Pin also took pole position for both races giving her four points. 

Doriane Pin, prior to race 1 on Saturday, took pole position for both races in qualifying giving her the two championship points. However, with the race being reinstated at a different venue this coming weekend, the grid will have to be set again, which will now bring about an extra two points. 

Therefore, mathematically, Pulling can not be considered the champion yet as she will have to wait until the weekend's action to try and claim her crown and it will be her second time announced as such if she is to win the 2024 F1 Academy Championship.

The Alpine Academy driver has won seven out of 11 races in 2024 and taken 7 pole positions. In each of the 11 races, she has stood on the podium. Therefore, it is likely she will become champion at some point across the weekend in Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina Circuit. 

The gap between Pulling and Pin is at 83 points and 84 points is the maximum total this weekend, so in theory, it is unlikely for Doriane Pin to win the F1 Academy championship. Significantly however, Pulling is no longer the champion mathematically as there is still a chance of Pin being champion for however unlikely that may be.

F1 Academy will host the final round of the season at the Yas Marina Circuit between the sixth and eighth of December.

Race 2 in the F1 Academy Championship has been cancelled following extensive track repairs that were unable to be completed in time on Grand Prix Sunday.

The race 2 of the weekend was scheduled to be run following the Porsche Supercup Middle East event in the Sunday schedule at the Lusail International Circuit, that was set to be jam-packed with support series events prior to the 2024 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix.

​It was a race that was set to be exciting with the 2024 F1 Academy Champion being crowned the evening prior, which was Alpine Academy driver Abbi Pulling. With Doriane Pin once again starting from pole and Abbi Pulling starting on the second row, many were wondering that a battle for victory could have been on the cards.

However, due to the extensive track repairs race 2 of round six in Qatar was cancelled and subsequently would become the first race of the 2024 F1 Academy season to be cancelled - at the 12th attempt.

Sunday dawned on the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar, which meant it would be Grand Prix Sunday for Formula 1. However, it would also have F1 Academy action to entertain supporters with race 2 - the final race of the weekend.

Race 2 would follow race 1 that was run on Saturday and it was a race that will long live in the memory of F1 Academy history and also Abbi Pulling as she finished in second place which is all that she needed to be crowned the 2024 F1 Academy Champion.

Pulling would take second as her championship rival Doriane Pin took her Prema to victory, but ultimately with the finishing position of Abbi Pulling it was not enough to stay in the title fight. Maya Weug would complete the podium in third.

As for the grid for race 2, the top three starting positions would be the same as race 1. Doriane Pin would start from pole position in her Prema machine. The Mercedes-backed driver would have her Prema teammate Maya Weug, backed by Ferrari, starting alongside and in second.

Behind the Prema pair, Abbi Pulling, the already crowned champion, would have her Rodin Motorsport car in third. In fourth, completing the front two rows would be Wildcard entry Alisha Palmowski, who had been having a very weekend.

It would be a delayed start to proceedings in Qatar as damage to a barrier from the Porsche Supercup Middle East race meant that it had to be repaired. However, after half an hour of waiting patiently for things to change and the track to be repaired, the schedule would not allow for them to be completed in time and for the race to be run.

Therefore, the race was cancelled by FIA Race Control with insufficient time to complete the race in any form, as the repairs would be too extensive and would have to be completed in the gap between the scheduled F1 Academy race 2 and the Formula 2 feature race that was to follow.

No points would be scored and all grid positions would be null and void as there would be no further time to complete the race in the rest of the schedule leading up to the final event - the Qatar Grand Prix of Formula 1.

Brandon Whiteside
Writer & X Contributor - F1 Journal

British racing driver Abbi Pulling of Alpine Academy is the 2024 F1 Academy Champion, following race 1 in Qatar on Saturday.

Pulling racing for Rodin Motorsport, only needed a second place finish or a third place with the fastest lap, to secure the championship in race 1 around the Lusail International Circuit.  It was a race that was largely dominated by Doriane Pin.

Pin was still in the championship coming into the round but needed a certain set of results to give her to have a chance of staying in the championship fight. Sadly for Pin, this was not to be despite her taking her Prema to victory.

The Mercedes-backed driver took victory from Pulling, who sealed the championship in second place with Maya Weug, backed by Ferrari, made it two Prema cars on the podium as she finished third.

Pulling due to becoming the champion has won a seat in the 2025 GB3 Championship with her current team in F1 Academy - Rodin Motorsport.  It has been a fantastic season from Pulling and she still has more races to shine but she has her reward by being a deserved champion with her consistency throughout the year.

For the first time in over two months, it would be finally time to go racing in the 2024 F1 Academy Championship for round six of the season. Round six of seven in the championship would be set to take place at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar.

It was built up as a weekend that could see the 2024 F1 Academy drivers' title wrapped up for championship leader Abbi Pulling, who has largely dominated the season. With a second place finish or a third place finish with the fastest lap, Pulling would become champion.

The Alpine Academy driver for Rodin Motorsport would start third as her championship protagonist Doriane Pin would start from pole position, after a fantastic qualifying session. Pin, backed by Mercedes and racing for Prema, would take pole for both races. Maya Weug would start second.

All 16 cars would take the start with wildcard entry Alisha Palmowski starting within the top 10.

The lights would go out and it would be a fantastic start from Pin but more so Abbi Pulling as the Alpine Academy driver got through ahead of Maya Weug into a crucial second place and the Rodin Motorsport of Pulling was in that crucial second place to take the title on Saturday evening. 

It however would be a Prema first and third with Pin pulling clear in the lead and Maya Weug sitting behind Pulling in third place. This was the perfect start for Pulling and even if Pin was to win the race and take the fastest lap, the points Pulling was in position to pick up would still conclude the championship fight.

The top three remained in their positions moving onto the second lap as there was a battle going on further towards the back of the pack as the two MP Motorsport teammates, Emely De Heus and Amna Al Qubaisi were battling over 13th. De Heus, backed by Red Bull Ford would move ahead of Al Qubaisi who is backed by Visa RB.

Onto the third lap and out front, it was still a good position to be in for Abbi Pulling as she was in a comfortable second but was not totally losing sight on Doriane Pin with the gap reaching 1.4 seconds.

The start would not have been too positive for Chloe Chambers and Tina Hausmann as they would have jumped the start, Race Control would find out. This would be investigated and the investigation was swiftly concluded. Both Chambers and Hausmann would receive a five-second time penalty each would be added to the end of their race time. 

Chambers though would be embroiled in a battle with Aurelia Nobels, Carrie Schreiner and Emely De Heus. Nobels was leading a train in 10th place with Chambers, Schreiner and De Heus looking for a way past. 

Lap eight and Chambers would find her way through on Nobels with a sensationally bold pass to move up into 10th and Chambers of Campos would find her way through the ART of Nobels. This would leave Nobels exposed to Schreiner but Nobels, now in 11th, would be able to keep Schreiner behind.

This would leave Schreiner exposed to De Heus, who would get ahead into 12th. This would all be while Doriane Pin was remaining ever comfortable out in front and the gap was rising even more.

Meanwhile, Hausmann had passed Lola Lovinfosse for 15th.

Bianca Bustamante was having a quiet race but within the points and was looking at trying to get ahead of the likes of Jessica Edgar and Nerea Marti. However, all her chances of points would disappear as she would spin on lap 12.

Bustamante would spin and she would be able to rejoin the race would be last and 16th. Her race was almost certainly ruined with such little time in the race remaining.

Onto the final lap, although the race was nearing its conclusion, some racers were not finished with the action until the flag and Chloe Chambers was one in particular. She made a sensational double pass on Nerea Marti and Jessica Edgar - to move up into seventh place.

Out front it was pure brilliance from Doriane Pin and she controlled the race since the lights went out and she was dominant in the lead of race 1 and never looked like losing it. Out of the final corner she would take the chequered flag first to take victory in Qatar.

Behind the Mercedes-liveried Prema, a champion was about to be crowned. Abbi Pulling had been absolutely superb throughout the course of the season up until this point and she had managed to take seven pole positions and she had won seven races, heading into race 1.

The Alpine Academy driver, racing for Rodin Motorsport, would cross the line in second place to become the 2024 F1 Academy Champion with three races remaining of the season and a full round to spare. An incredible achievement from the British driver. 

Maya Weug completed the podium for Prema, after the Ferrari-backed driver started second. Fourth place would be Red Bull Racing backed Hamda Al Qubaisi of MP Motorsport with a fantastic first F1 Academy race for wildcard entry Alisha Palmowski saw her complete the top five.

ART's Williams backed driver Lia Block was sixth ahead of Jess Edgar in seventh, following Chloe Chambers' penalty which dropped her to 11th. Nerea Marti was eighth ahead of Aurelia Nobels and Emely De Heus who rounded off the points-paying positions.

F1 Academy would not be done there though, for action around the Lusail International Circuit, and the weekend's action would be completed on Sunday with race 2.

Brandon Whiteside
​Writer & X Contributor - F1 Journal

Mercedes-backed driver of Prema, Doriane Pin, has had a hugely significant and successful  qualifying session in Qatar, as on Saturday, she has taken pole position for both races.

Pin delivered a fantastic performance and continued her form in the shortened and delayed qualifying session around the Lusail International Circuit. After topping both practice sessions, Pin has continued topping every session of the weekend so far and she will start both races from the front of the field.

French racing driver Pin took a double pole position and in the overall qualifying classification she was fastest ahead of Maya Weug, who is her Prema teammate and backed by Ferrari. Championship leader Abbi Pulling was third.

Pulling can clinch the championship this weekend should she score 18 points across the round. This would complete a dominant season if she was to win the title with a round to spare.

After practice was to put to bed under the night skies of Qatar, Saturday would bring a new day filled with action, which would begin with qualifying.

The qualifying session would set the grid for both of the races to take place across the weekend. This would require two strong lap times from the drivers to help them get a good grid position for both races. The best lap time from the drivers would be the used to set the grid for race 1, whereas each driver's second best lap time will set the grid for race 2

On Friday, it was Doriane Pin who was fastest in both practice sessions showing her speed around the circuit as she did in the testing F1 Academy had at the Lusail International Circuit, earlier in November.

Qualifying would be delayed from the scheduled 15:30 start local time as there would be repairs made to part of the barriers around the circuit, following an incident in a Porsche support race.

Eventually at 15:34, the session would start with Race Control shortening the session to 23 minutes, to help balance out the schedule, with the Formula 1 sprint race waiting to commence and this would end up creating a backlog.

The green light would come on at the end of the pit lane and the session would be underway for 23 minutes of qualifying with all 16 cars peeling out of the pit lane.

Some drivers would be opting for different running plans compared to the rest of the field, so a real split of qualifying strategy. The drivers would not have as long as they would have liked and therefore changing tyres would leave them with an even less amount of time.

The first flying laps would be pin and it would be Doriane Pin who would go to provisional pole, continuing where she left off from the practice sessions on Friday. It was a great lap from the Mercedes-backed driver, who had her Prema sitting at the top from her teammate Maya Weug.

Weug though was showing strong pace and she herself would be the next to go fastest overall and she would take the spot of provisional pole in her Ferrari-liveried Prema machine.It was a great lap and specifically was a 1:55.779 from the Dutch driver.

Emely De Heus would then be noted by FIA Race Control for speeding in the pit lane. This would be investigated following the conclusion of the session but a grid penalty would be unexpected.

Pin would return to the top of the pile with another lap to see her take provisional pole as the clock began to tick down continuously and the drivers were running out of time.

Abbi Pulling, the championship leader, was having a difficult session and not reaching top spot like she has been used to. Maybe this was exactly the fortune that Doriane Pin may be needing to stay in championship contention.

Soon enough the drivers would move onto their final laps with limited time to make their two best lap times good enough for top grid spots with the chequered flag soon out and being waved from the race control tower. 

At the end of the session, Doriane Pin would improve on her best lap time to take pole position for both races and would give herself the best possible chance to stay in championship contention. The Mercedes-backed driver of Prema was so consistent with her lap times and is definitely the driver to beat this weekend.

Pin would be top ahead of her Prema teammate Maya Weug, who showed great speed and would finish second in a Prema 1-2. Weug showed great speed throughout with Abbi Pulling rounding off the top three in third.

Williams-backed driver Lia Block put in a fantastic effort to qualify fourth for ART with Hamda Al Qubaisi in fifth for MP Motorsport rounding off the top five. Wildcard entry Alisha Palmowski would end up qualifying in sixth, in a fantastic first qualifying in F1 Academy for her.

In seventh would be Tommy Hilfiger backed driver Nerea Marti, who would be the highest placed Campos driver. She would be ahead of Bianca Bustamante in eighth, with Aurelia Nobels and Jess Edgar completing the top 10.

Action of round six in the 2024 F1 Academy season would continue in Qatar later on Saturday, with race 1 under the night skies and getting underway at 11pm local time.

Brandon Whiteside
​Writer - F1 Journal

A very strong performance in the latter stages in Qatar of free practice 2, in F1 Academy, sees Doriane Pin end the session top on Friday night.

The Mercedes-backed driver, racing for Prema, had a phenomenal final 10 minutes where she set consecutive fastest laps, in a very competitive latter stage of the second practice session, in what is a significant weekend that she has to make count.

Pin needs a pretty much flawless weekend if she is to avoid losing the championship to the current championship leader Abbi Pulling of Rodin Motorsport and Alpine Academy. Pulling currently has a 95-point lead over Pin with two full rounds worth of points remaining.

Prema's Pin was fastest with a 1:54.794, which was a tenth faster than her championship rival Pulling, who had to settle for second in a closely-fought session. Wildcard entry Alisha Palmowski was third in a superb effort.

F1 Academy action would return on Friday to conclude the day's running as it would be time for the second and final practice session of the weekend.

In contrast to the day's earlier free practice 1 session, the night skies had fallen and the lights were shining on the circuit and the drivers would be set to complete another 40 minutes of free practice in the evening at the Lusail International Circuit.

Mercedes-backed driver Doriane Pin, the only driver that is mathematically in contention for the championship other than Abbi Pulling, would set the fastest time in the opening practice session - in her Prema machine.

Pin was fastest ahead of Pulling, who missed the early stages of the session with mechanical problems. Maya Weug, backed by Ferrari, made it three Prema drivers in the top three. In FP1, wildcard entry Alisha Palmowski was seventh.

It would be time for free practice 2, and with the green light on at the end of the pit lane, the session would be underway and a flurry of drivers would head out almost immediately. Some of them though would pit after just one out lap.

For the drivers in the early stages, it was all about trying to get temperature into the tyres and warm the brakes up ahead of pushing on flying laps around this tricky and demanding circuit. However, it was not going quite to plan for Bianca Bustamante, as in the first few minutes, she would have a spin but thankfully would be able to continue.

In the first 10 minutes, for a lot of drivers they would be laying down their first representative lap times and Abbi Pulling would be the driver who would be at the top of the times ahead of Chloe Chambers and Jess Edgar. 

Drivers would still be searching for improvements and lap times would be improved, meaning positions were constantly changing up and down the order with Abbi Pulling moving away from top spot for a couple of moments as Maya Weug would have a small stint up at the top of the times.

By the halfway point, all of the drivers had headed to the pit lane for any mechanical changes, tyre changes or simply for the drivers to have a chat with their engineers and review any data. Abbi Pulling was sat at the top with Weug in second and wildcard entry Alisha Palmowski was having another strong showing in third place.

Eventually, slowly but surely the drivers were making their way back out onto the circuit and as the session was approaching the final 10 minutes, qualifying runs would be needing practice ahead of qualifying on Saturday.

The times would change multiple times with many different drivers having spells at the top of the time sheets as drivers were making significant improvements in their lap times. Pulling and Palmowski were shining but as to was Doriane Pin.

Pin would set rapid lap time after rapid lap time and she would do this at the very end of the session to take top spot as the clock hit zero and the chequered flag was brought out. A stunning lap from Pin, and she looked to have great pace and looked to be the favourite for pole position in a potentially championship-deciding weekend.

Pin was fastest by a tenth ahead of Abbi Pulling in second place with a fantastic session from Alisha Palmowski saw the British wildcard entry finish third and completed the top three. Maya Weug of Prema would be fourth with Red Bull Racing backed Hamda Al Qubaisi completing the top five for MP Motorsport.

Jess Edgar would be sixth ahead of Lia Block in seventh with Emely De Heus, Chloe Chambers and Bianca Bustamante completing the top 10.

Action will return at the Lusail International Circuit for F1 Academy this weekend, with qualifying taking place on Saturday afternoon that will set the grid for both races.

Brandon Whiteside
Writer and X Contributer - F1 Journal