2024 F1 Academy champion Abbi Pulling celebrates huge GB3 milestone

2024 F1 Academy champion Abbi Pulling has clinched her first podium in the GB3 Championship.

After leaving the all-female racing series with the championship trophy in 2024, Pulling received a fully funded seat in the GB3 Championship with Rodin Motorsport for 2025. In addition to this, she signed a multi-year deal to become the rookie and simulator driver for the Nissan Formula E team.

The 22-year-old celebrated her first podium finish in GB3 at Brands Hatch on 24 August.

"First GB3 podium. What a feeling," she shared on social media. "P3 in Race 3 at Brands Hatch today. We’ve worked so hard for this and to stand on the podium in such a competitive championship means so much. Still work to do, but this is a moment I won’t forget."

"A bit disappointed with the start. I’ve fluffed it a little bit after a great start in the race before, but yeah, I kept putting the pressure on," Pulling explained to the media after the race. "Safety car restart, put it together again, and saw my opportunity to go on the inside as they were wheel-to-wheel and yeah, I put the pressure on and the boys made some mistakes and I just crept on through. I’ll take it where I can."

Acknowledging the bold three-car-wide move she pulled off to get the overtake done, she added: "Well, I did think this is my only opportunity because overtaking round here isn’t easy. I thought round Hawthorns probably the last place you want to do it, but yeah, it worked out in the end and I’m glad that I showed some aggression in it."

Pulling had previously opened up about the challenges involved in moving from F1 Academy to GB3, explaining that the difference in downforce has been something she has had to work on.

"The jump from F1 Academy to GB3 is quite big. There's a lot of downforce so it's not been easy," Pulling explained to The Girls Who Eat, Breathe, And Dream Motorsport YouTube channel.

"But learning every time I get in the car. Working in a slightly bigger team - there's more personnel, and similar to here [Formula E] - although it's like triple the personnel I'm used to - it's a bigger operation.

"So it's exciting to then be pairing this with my GB3 campaign and working behind the scenes as a sim and rookie driver."