F1 ACADEMY: Pin dominates with double pole performance in Saudi Arabia

Mercedes driver Doriane Pin stamped her mark on the 2024 F1 Academy field, getting the better of Abbi Pulling and her PREMA Racing teammate Maya Weug to claim the two pole positions on offer.

Pin clocked in a 2:04.599s on her second attempt and continued to better herself until the final six minutes when she set an unbeatable 2:03.472.

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Pulling and Weug went back-and-forth over the front row, trading the P2 spot. However, it was the Alpine driver who ultimately won out for both races. Her penultimate attempt elevated her above Weug and to within 0.785s of Pin’s fastest lap but Pulling was unable to unseat the French driver.

Opting to only use one set of tyres and head out at the midway point paid off for Marti as she secured fourth for Race 1. She’ll be lining up for Friday’s race ahead of McLaren’s Bianca Bustamante and Lola Lovinfosse in the Charlotte Tilbury car.

A stellar debut Qualifying for Williams’ Lia Block saw her claim seventh ahead of Haas’ Chloe Chambers, Aurelia Nobels for PUMA and Jessica Edgar completed the top 10 for Rodin Motorsport.

Lovinfosse will start on the second row for Race 2 ahead of Marti. Chambers will start from sixth ahead of Aston Martin’s Tina Hausmann, Nobels, Edgar and Bustamante.

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Race 1 will get underway at 15:10 local time on Friday, followed by Race 2 on Saturday at 15:05 local time.