Doriane Pin dominated qualifying for the first round of the new F1 Academy season in Jeddah, securing pole position for both this weekend’s races.
Pin, who raced for Prema in LMP2 in last year’s World Endurance Championship and with Iron Dames this season, was fastest by over seven tenths of a second from Abbi Pulling at the end of the session.The Mercedes-supported driver will also start Saturday’s second race of the weekend from pole position after her second-best time was superior to the second-best times of her 15 rivals.
Alpine-backed Pulling was the only one who came within a second of the pole winner, with Ferrari-backed Maya Weug taking third on the grid. Nerea Martin will start ahead of McLaren-junior Bianca Bustamante in fourth and fifth, while Lola Lovinfosse took sixth and Williams-backed Lia Block in seventh, despite losing her last time for exceeding track limits along the pit straight.
Haas-supported driver Chloe Chambers took eighth on the grid with Aurelia Nobels and Jessica Edgar completing the top 10.
Race one will take place on Friday morning, ahead of final practice for Formula 1. The second race will be run on Saturday morning ahead of the Formula 2 feature race.
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F1 Academy Saudi Arabia qualifying results
| Position | Car | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Doriane Pin | Prema |
| 2 | 9 | Abbi Pulling | Rodin |
| 3 | 64 | Maya Weug | Prema |
| 4 | 30 | Nerea Marti | Campos |
| 5 | 16 | Bianca Bustamante | ART |
| 6 | 3 | Lola Lovinfosse | Rodin |
| 7 | 57 | Lia Block | ART |
| 8 | 14 | Chloe Chambers | Campos |
| 9 | 22 | Aurelia Nobels | ART |
| 10 | 17 | Jessica Edgar | Rodin |
| 11 | 19 | Tina Hausmann | Prema |
| 12 | 15 | Carrie Schreiner | Campos |
| 13 | 8 | Hamda Al Qubaisi | MP |
| 14 | 18 | Reema Juffali | Prema |
| 15 | 88 | Amna Al Qubaisi | MP |
| 16 | 7 | Emely De Heus | MP |
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F1 Academy
- Weug finally claims first victory in frantic F1 Academy season finale
- Pulling claims ninth win of season after another mistake by Chambers
- Champion Pulling takes eighth win after Chambers throws away lead
- F1 Academy’s extra Yas Marina race technically reopens title fight
- Damaged barrier forces cancellation of second F1 Academy race at Losail
Dusty
7th March 2024, 22:06
7 tenths to second place is quite impressive although the lap is over 2 minutes.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
7th March 2024, 22:11
Something about a grenade. There’s a killer headline in there somewhere.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
8th March 2024, 11:14
Indeed, if Abbi was Pulling the Pin…
CD (@clipperdael)
8th March 2024, 12:59
I thought her LMP2 campaign was quite impressive, good to see she’s found more success in another series.
Asd
8th March 2024, 14:25
I just realized/learned this series exists. What a silly concept!
FIA has created more junior series for young drivers to prepare for a career than proper series to have a career in.
It’s like all of those kids are preparing for a career they won’t have. Such nonsense!
I wish F2 was an actual racing series for everybody with a real meaningful championship the way MotoGP is structured.
Josh Barber
8th March 2024, 18:35
But these women (who already race just like everyone else) need a special series otherwise they won’t succeed! or something…
I agree, why we spend millions to prop up mediocre drivers who play by the same rules as everyone else is a mystery to me. How many genuinely under privileged kids could have been funded for all the money that goes to these mediocre women? Motorsport is supposed to be a meritocracy, F1 academy is a pity party to desperately extend to careers of no hopers.