Doriane Pin fastest in Qatar opening practice in crucial weekend

Credit: Joe Portlock

Mercedes-backed Prema racer Doriane Pin was fastest in the opening practice session on Friday, at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar.

It was a 40-minute session that had a slow first 10 minutes with little action on track but throughout the other 30 minutes of the session there was a lot of on track action with all drivers setting lap times.

In a weekend where she needs to be on form to keep the championship alive, Doriane Pin set the fastest time of the session and showed great pace, which is eactly what she needs to show this weekend.

Pin would finish top ahead of championship rival and leader Abbi Pulling, who would be second despite mechanical difficulties ruining the first part of her session. Maya Weug was third making it two Prema cars in the top three, with their teams' championship battle very much alive with Rodin Motorsport.

Abbi Pulling could be champion this weekend with her coming into the weekend with a 98-point lead over Doriane Pin.

How Free Practice 1 unfolded in Qatar

For the first time since September, F1 Academy had a race weekend to look forward to with round six coming at the Lusail International Circuit, in the Qatari capital Doha. This would be the start of two rounds in consecutive weekends, with the final round in just over one wee's time in Abu Dhabi.

The 15 full-time drivers would be participating in the round alongside a wildcard driver to make the grid size 16, for the fifth time of the season. The driver that has been selected for the wildcard entry at this weekend's round in Qatar is British talent Alisha Palmowski.

Palmowski has spent 2024 competing in GB4 where she finished runner up to Swedish driver Linus Granfors. The British talent set for her F1 Academy debut will be racing the F1 Academy 'Discover your Drive' campaign livery and will be racing with the number six on her car.

Before long though it was time for F1 Academy to return to on-track action in a race weekend. Although a new venue, the drivers would have familiar feelings with it as they did some testing on the track earlier on in November.

The green light would be on at the end of the pit lane and the session would be underway. however, there was no real eagerness to head out onto the circuit and therefore the drivers would sit in the pit lane for a while. 

Abbi Pulling did not have the option as she was rooted to the pit lane, with a suspected mechanical issue that the Rodin Motorsport mechanics were working on in order to make sure she could get out at points in the session.

In the first 10 minutes, not much would happen as Jessica Edgar and Aurelia Nobels would be the drivers who were making small appearances on the circuit and towards the end of the first quarter of the 40-minute session, more drivers started heading out. However, representative flying laps were still being waited on.

Flying laps would be laid down eventually by the drivers as most drivers were heading out on circuit and looking to try and get a feel for the circuit and how the temperature were affecting the tarmac.

Jessica Edgar was leading the way from Bianca Bustamante as it stood as the session reached the halfway point, with 20 minutes complete and 20 minutes still remaining. Lola Lovinfosse, Edgar's Rodin teammate was third, ahead of MP Motorsport's Emely De Heus. 

Edgar's other Rodin teammate and the championship leader, Abbi Pulling, would make it out onto the circuit with mechanical problems put behind the car and now she was getting some valuable circuit experience under her belt and was looking to make her way to the top of the times.

Alisha Palmowski as the wildcard entry would be looking to try and make an impression, following a successful year in the GB4 Championship would be looking at securing a seat potentially in F1 Academy for 2025. The British driver impressed by leaping up to second, less than two tenths behind Edgar.

However, both Edgar and Palmowski would drop down a place as the driver next to go top would be French racer Doriane Pin, who was desperate to try and stay in championship contention across the weekend and hopefully for her she can take it to Abu Dhabi, but it will be difficult.

With 10 minutes remaining, Pin would be on top from Edgar and Palmowski. The three drivers would be the top three with the time remaining but lap times were still to be completed.

Pulling would be setting lap times and improving constantly with her flying laps to try and get herself comfortable with the circuit and the conditions in which they were running in. On her final lap of the session, she would go second fastest and would have to settle for that as before long the chequered flag was out.

Doriane Pin was unable to be matched though as she had set the fastest time of the session with a 1:56.654 and the Mercedes-backed Prema driver would be feeling confident and pleased with the session.

Pin would be top by two tenths of a second to her championship rival Pulling, who progressed well in the latter stages to end up in second position for Rodin Motorsport. Maya Weug, backed by Ferrari, would make it two Prema cars in the top three.

British driver Jessica Edgar, also of Rodin Motorsport like her fellow Brit Abbi Pulling, was fourth with ART's Bianca Bustamante, backed by McLaren, would end the day in fifth place.

Hamda Al Qubaisi backed by red Bull Racing was sixth ahead of wildcard entry Alisha Palmowski who delivered a brilliant opening performance to finish in seventh place. Carrie Schreiner, Lia Block and Chloe Chambers would complete the top 10.

After the first practice session, F1 Academy would return for the second practice session of the weekend and of the day later on Friday. 

2024 F1 Academy Championship: Round 6 - Qatar free practice 1 result

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

Brandon Whiteside
​Writer and X Contributer - F1 Journal