She’s the champion of the F1 Academy! Abbi Pulling (supported by Alpine) in fact won, ahead of Doriane Pin who, however, did not deserve it, the women's championship organized by the FIA and the FOM, in order to promote diversity in motorsport.
The champion, however, remains realistic. F1, despite this victory, will still remain a distant dream. Even very distant since next year, she will “only” race in the GB3 Series, with Rodin, in the United Kingdom.
“I'm still aiming for Formula 1 and I think if we see a woman get there, it won't be a Max Verstappen entry, at 17,” declared Abbi Pulling (21) to Reuters after winning her title.
Pulling speaks bluntly about the limitations women still face in motorsport.
“A 16-year-old girl wouldn't be strong enough to drive a Formula 2 car. That's the harsh reality. »
“With a more mature and developed female physique, it will be more possible to drive this car and fight for an opportunity to get into Formula 1. When, not if, we see a woman in Formula 1, she will be older – probably mid-twenties, I’d say. »
Formula 1 has not seen a woman compete in a Grand Prix (on Sunday) since the Italian Lella Lombardi in 1976.
But it's not just the physical aspect that's blocking. There is also a fundamental factor for Pulling.
“Money. »
“Boys start training at 14 in all countries and in Europe. Then they do the Italian, German and UAE F4 championships, which alone costs a million – and that's when they're 15 or 16 years old. »
“They do it for two years… then they move on to FRECA (Formula Regional Europe) or GB3, sometimes even both. Then, they do 30 to 40 days of testing at that level. If I could afford to do that, yes, I would and I would continue against the boys. »
“Unfortunately, in my situation, I cannot do that. This is where the F1 Academy has been so important. It shouldn't be necessary, but it is. This is the sad reality. I hope it continues for a long time and continues to give opportunities to girls in my situation. »
Pulling, financed by her engineer father, had to leave the British F4 championship in 2021 when money ran out.
“We live comfortably, but in the context of motorsport we are very far from it,” she admitted. “We don't have tens or hundreds of thousands of euros, let alone millions. »
“Without these two championships (W Series and F1 Academy, where the steering wheels are financed, editor’s note), I would not be here today. That's for sure. I will be forever grateful to them, they kept my dream alive. »
The growing popularity of F1, driven by the Netflix documentary “Drive to Survive”, has attracted more and more young girls to karting and initiatives are multiplying to encourage their participation. The wind has finally become favorable for women in F1, and Pulling is aware of it.
“It’s an incredibly positive time to be a woman in sport,” she says optimistically. “As long as I perform, I am confident that with the support system around me, I will be able to continue to climb the ranks. »
