Abbi Pulling, representing Rodin Motorsport, celebrates her second-place finish on the podium at the FIA Formula Academy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on March 8, 2024. In the first race of the season, Pulling secured her first victory after Doriane Pin, the winner of Race 2, was penalized for crossing the finish line twice.
Pin, who had a dominant performance throughout the opening weekend of the 2024 F1 Academy season, found herself embroiled in controversy during the final moments of Race 2. Despite finishing the race with a comfortable lead of nearly two seconds and setting the fastest lap, a miscommunication caused her to continue circling the track after the chequered flag was waved.
Following an investigation, Pin was penalized with a 20-second penalty for crossing the finish line twice. She claimed that her engineers failed to inform her that the race had ended. As a result, Abbi Pulling, the Alpine Junior Driver, was declared the winner after an impressive performance. Throughout the weekend, Pulling closely trailed behind Pin, emerging as the only driver who could challenge the Frenchwoman’s dominance.
This victory not only marks Pulling’s first point-scoring finish for Alpine in 2024 but also secures her first win. Additionally, Nerea Martí moves up to third place as a result of the penalty.