Interview by Molly Elizabeth Agnew
Imagery by Lydia Harper & Jazz Vian
Finishing on the podium at every race of the season, it was no surprise to us that Abbi Pulling would take the F1 Academy Championship title with ease. Crossing the line under starry Qatari skies, the 21-year-old British talent was crowned champion with a hefty 95 point advantage.
We caught up with Abbi just days after the race where she secured her first racing career title and ahead of the F1 Academy season finale in Abu Dhabi where, unsurprisingly, she won 2 out of the 3 races.
PF: Congratulations Abbi! How did you find your Championship winning weekend?
AP: Obviously it's incredible being the champion, but it was a tough weekend and I would say one of the hardest of the year for us as a team. We struggled a little bit and we didn't quite have that last little bit of edge that Prema had. But, we knew that I didn't have to do anything special to take the title, I just had to keep doing what I've been doing. Be consistent and try to stay on the podium, which, in the end, happened.
I knew that I just had to finish second or get third and the fastest lap, and I thought I'd make my life easier at the start to try and get into second place! It's been really, really nice to seal the deal.
Did you feel pressure going into the weekend, knowing there was a lot of hype online and on social media that this was gonna be the weekend?
I just had my head down. I didn't put pressure on myself to [win the championship] that weekend, because at the end of the day I still had Abu Dhabi. So, it wasn't do or die. You'd like to get it sealed up as early as you can and with the success in Singapore, I put myself in a great position.
Obviously there's things on social media and lots of hype saying that I could wrap it up, but I think I'm quite good at blocking that out.
You've been on the podium in every single F1 Academy race this year, but surely the championship winning celebration has felt different?
Funnily enough, it's the first race I've actually moved forward all year. So, I'm glad that I managed to show that I'm not a one trick pony and I can do some overtakes as well! It was definitely special and I made sure I took it all in, especially the lap back to the grid.
Yeah, I screamed a lot and I've watched it back and thought, ‘wow, that’s actually quite embarrassing!’ I didn't know what to do with myself. I was just so ecstatic and over the moon, I wanted to celebrate with everyone, hug every single person in the team and people that have helped me get there. I think it brought us all together which is nice.
Your dad was at the track. How special was it to have family around?
My dad's been poorly this season, so he's not really been able to get on a flight.
He kind of said, ‘screw it’, for this one. He said he'd rather be here than not! He didn't make it to the podium ceremony - I don't think they'd let him in. But, he was watching at turn one so he managed to see the move in person, which he would have absolutely loved.
Once I did all the media in the F1 paddock, it was nice to see him and share that moment with him. You know, it's as much for him as it is for myself. He's the one that made all the sacrifices in my career. Early on, he bought me my first go-kart, took the gamble to put me in a single seater and ended up putting himself financially in probably not the smartest situation. It's starting to pay off, and it's nice to reap the rewards.
Speaking of rewards, because of your win you've secured a spot in GB3. How do you feel about that?
It's gonna be a dream to drive [in GB3]. I drove an F3 car, like, two years ago now. God, it was a long time ago, maybe even three. But, I walked away from that day like, ‘this is an absolute dream.’ It’s really fun to have a bigger car, faster car, downforce, bigger tyres, and that's exactly what the GB3 Championship will provide.
With the prize the F1 Academy is providing, the opportunity is massive for me as someone that's had to pull out of championships in the past due to funding. It's just a big pressure and financial weight off of my shoulders. Returning with Rodin Motorsport as well, the team that took me to the title, they've won in GB3 this year as well so I've got a really good kind of trajectory that I can see. I'm giddy now and I want to get going!
There has been amazing growth in F1 Academy this year, and hopefully that will continue. What are your hopes for next season?
For the girls this year that didn't get the prize that I got, I hope they go on to continue racing, whether that be single seaters or another aspect like GTs. I think they're all very talented drivers, and the F1 Academy is giving us such a big opportunity.
I'm sure next year it will also provide a champion that deserves a similar prize as much as I have with what I've done this season; it's kept my dream alive and I hope it does that for another girl.
We know you have a big interest in graphic design and that you’ve designed your own merchandise, which is incredibly impressive.
I did my merchandise in the middle of the year, and I did everything solely by myself on that. From the design on the back to the shipping and getting the garments which is quite stressful.
And, you’ve just released a new limited edition collection!
I originally wanted to do [merchandise] in beige because everything I wear is a sand colour. I thought about it, and I was like, ‘maybe not the right time to do it.’ Then I thought about how the last two races are in the desert, and I thought it would be the perfect time to organise something and make it have its own moment.
It's nice to tie the whole thing in with the Qatar weekend. It's not meant to be championship winning merch, but it's nice to release something at the same time and I've got the beige helmet to go with it. I've absolutely loved doing it, if I've got the opportunity to, why not?
And it's nice to have that creative outlet when you're so focused on racing?
Exactly. It can be stressful at times, I mean, I'm trying at the moment to get the shipping costs down because they are quite expensive outside the UK. So that's been my task for a bit of today!
Heading into 2025, any plans for the future on track?
I've still got this season to round out with the three races that we now have in Abu Dhabi, which I'm looking forward to. But, I really want to hit the ground running next year with the team and get some good results.
I have no clue how it will play out. I think I'll go into the new year in a similar way as I did this year, with no expectations, just take each round as it comes, and try and put 110% out on track every time I turn up. If that's P1, then it’s P1 and if it's P5, it's P5. I'll do my best to leave no stone unturned, maximise everything, and be as physically ready as possible.
