Abbi Pulling becomes a British F4 race-winner at Brands Hatch

Photo: British F4

Abbi Pulling led from lights to flag to take her first British Formula 4 victory in the reversed-grid race on Brands Hatch’s Indy layout.

The win came a week after she picked up a double victory in the all-female F1 Academy championship in Miami.

As in the opening race at Brands Hatch, the safety car featured heavily. Pulling started on pole and was battling immediately to maintain the lead, while further down the field Kai Daryanani was in a fight that led to contact and going into the barriers at Druids. Maxwell Dodds went off into the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend but was able to recover, while Alex Ninovic and Reza Seewooruthun picked up damage and pitted at the end of lap one for repairs as the safety car came out.

Jack Sherwood and Leo Robinson had got into second and third before racing was neutralised, and when the restart took place there was 11 minutes left on the race clock. Pulling got a good getaway, and once she had escaped her pursuers she set the fastest lap then managed her tyres to take the win by 5.534 seconds.

Robinson kept Sherwood under pressure for most of the race, but came under attack from Zack Scoular late on. Sherwood was able to break away briefly, but Robinson reeled him back in to finish just 0.2s behind and take his first podium.

Scoular finished fourth, ahead of title contender James Higgins and August Raber.

Mika Abrahams and Deagen Fairclough both made up some positions on the opening lap, but struggled to continue moving forwards from their midfield starting positions on the reversed grid. Abrahams finished seventh, with points leader Fairclough and Rowan Campbell-Pilling close behind.

Race results (22 laps)