Alpine Academy driver Abbi Pulling is on the verge of clinching this year’s F1 ACADEMY championship as the series heads to the Middle East for its final rounds. Abbi has already won seven times this season and has maintained a perfect podium finishing record. Victory or second place in the opening race in Qatar this coming weekend will secure her the title.

 

 

The 21-year-old currently sits on 245 points, having most recently won both races at the previous round in Singapore. She has also triumphed in Jeddah, Miami (with another double win), Barcelona and Zandvoort. This impressive campaign puts her 95 points ahead of her closest rival Doriane Pin, who sits on 150 points. With a maximum of 112 points still available, this will reduce to 84 after the opening race in Qatar, meaning Abbi only needs to outscore Pin by 17 points in that first race. As a result, a second-place finish in Lusail will be enough to guarantee the crown, even if Pin wins.

 

 

In the event of a tie on points at the end of the season, Abbi would still secure P1, as she holds a decisive lead in race wins, with seven victories to Pin’s two. Pole position awards two points, and points are distributed to the top ten finishers using the F1 scoring format (25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1), with an additional point for the fastest lap if the driver finishes in the top ten.

 

 

This will be the first time F1 ACADEMY has raced at the Lusail International Circuit and the series will complete its seven-round championship in Abu Dhabi the following week. Established last year, F1 ACADEMY aims to lower the barriers to entry for young women in motorsport. As a member of the Alpine Academy since 2022, Abbi has received extensive support across all areas of competition, including technical training and physical and mental preparation, helping foster the skills needs to progress to higher tiers of racing, such as Formula 3 on the path to Formula 1.

 

 

In addition to F1 ACADEMY, there will be a double-header of races in Lusail and Yas Marina for the remaining rounds of this year’s FIA Formula 2 Championship. Alpine Academy drivers Victor Martins (ART) and Kush Maini (Invicta) have each won a race this year and will be aiming to end their seasons with strong results.

 

 

Victor won in Barcelona and has also claimed four other podiums, including two second-place finishes in Hungary and the runner-up spot last time out in Baku. The 23-year-old also set the fastest lap in both Silverstone races and will be looking for a decent points haul, with 78 points still available in the remaining two rounds. He currently sits eighth overall in the standings.

 

 

Meanwhile, Kush has earned four podiums alongside his win in Hungary. The 24-year-old was runner-up Jeddah (where he started from pole) and also Spain, and he too will be aiming to build on the 74 points he has accrued so far.