Last week at the Formula 1 Academy’s first race at the Qatar Grand Prix, Abbi Pulling did what she needed to do to clinch the Drivers’ Championship, finishing second behind Mercedes driver Doriane Pin to secure enough points with three races remaining to secure the title.
That touched off a pit-lane celebration, as Pulling and Alpine reflected on a tremendous season.
Then, everything changed.
An accident at Lusail International Circuit in one of the support races forced the cancelation of the second F1 Academy race. Officials indicated that Pin, who had qualified in pole position for both races in Qatar, would take home the two bonus points for that result despite the canceled second race.
Then, the series announced a makeup race for that cancellation, adding a third race at this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. With bonus points being offered for pole positions in all three races- and Pin still getting the two bonus points from Qatar- that meant that technically, Pin was still mathematically capable of securing enough points to take the Drivers’ Championship herself. To do so she needed to win each of the three races with the fastest lap and take all three pole positions, a tough request but still possible.
Pulling ended all potential discussions on Friday in Abu Dhabi.
The Alpine driver took pole position for all three races during F1 Academy qualifying, ending any doubt as to the Drivers’ Championship.
“I wanted that so bad!” reacted Pulling on the radio at the end of qualifying.
This marks the second odd celebration for Pulling this season. She finished second in the second race of the season, at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but was promoted to P1 after Pin was hit with a 20-second penalty after the race for crossing the checkered flag twice at speed.
That made for an odd celebration in Alpine’s garage in Jeddah, as Pulling explained to SB Nation back in the spring.
“Yeah, it was really strange,” said Pulling to SB Nation about the situation in Saudi Arabia. “It’s obviously not how I want to really win races. Absolutely, I want to do all my talking on track. But then I’ll take the points where I can.
“I was watching the Formula One race in Alpine’s garage, actually, and I knew that there was an investigation happening. It ended up being on the the last lap of the checkered flag of the Formula One that it all got announced that I’d won and all the fireworks went off for the Grand Prix that had finished.
“And I was like, ‘they’re basically just celebrating me,’” she joked, offering another glimpse of her playful side.
Now she gets another chance to celebrate the title.
