F1 Academy race 2 cancelled in Qatar due to extensive track repairs

Credit: Pauline Ballet

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.

How F1 Academy Race 2 cancellation unfolded in Qatar

DAMAGE: (pictured) the damage that led to race 2 of F1 Academy being cancelled in Qatar. Credit: James Sutton

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