Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography
Abbi Pulling is on course for a fully-funded seat in GB3 with Rodin Motorsport next year should she clinch the F1 Academy title.
F1 Academy announced on Thursday that the winner of this year’s championship will receive the Rodin GB3 drive, and with four races remaining it’s Pulling that is firmly in pole position for the prize. With a lead of 95 points over Doriane Pin, she only needs to score 17 more points to guarantee herself the title.
Pulling has been driving for Rodin in F1 Academy since its inaugural season last year, when she came fifth in the points, and has also raced with the team in non-clashing rounds of British Formula 4 this year, taking a win at Brands Hatch.
While Pulling has been tied to the Alpine Academy since 2020, this announcement means she will not automatically be in-line for a move into the Alpine-supported Formula Regional European Championship should she win the F1 Academy crown.
Last year’s champion Marta Garcia was given a fully-funded FREC drive for 2024 but experienced a difficult season, scoring no points, which has likely signalled the end of her single-seater career.
F1 Academy says it will also fund 20 days of GB3 testing for its champion, with mutual tyre supplier Pirelli also making a financial contribution to cover the drive.
It added that every year it “will work closely with the F1 Academy teams and drivers in contention for the title to analyse the best next step for the champion and support their progression”.
“We are delighted that GB3 has been chosen as the next step for the 2024 F1 Academy champion,” said Jonathan Palmer, chief executive of GB3 operator MotorsportVision.
“Over the past decade there has quite rightly been a big shift in motorsport to recognise and encourage the participation of women. F1 Academy has been instrumental in that process and Susie’s determination to provide women with unprecedented opportunities to develop and shine is tremendously exciting.”
GB3’s sister series GB4 this year created a prize of €30,000 for its best female driver to use towards an F1 Academy drive, an award that ultimately went to its outright series runner-up Alisha Palmowski. This prize has been increased to €50,000 for the most successful female driver in the 2025 season.