Esteban Ocon and Alpine boss Oliver Oakes praise ‘super impressive’ Pulling as she looks to seal F1 ACADEMY title in Qatar

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and team boss Oliver Oakes have praised the performance of Abbi Pulling ahead of what could be a decisive weekend in her F1 ACADEMY title bid, with the 21-year-old on the verge of taking the crown.

Pulling – who is backed by Alpine in the all-female category, as well as being a member of the squad’s Alpine Academy programme – is leading the drivers’ standings on 245 points, giving her a sizeable lead of 95 points over Doriane Pin in second place.

This means that, with the Briton needing just 18 points across the final four races to seal the title regardless of where Pin finishes, she could potentially become champion as early as Race 1 at the upcoming penultimate round in Qatar.

During the five rounds so far, Pulling has taken seven victories, three further podiums and seven pole positions, a performance that has earned praise from fellow Alpine driver Ocon.

SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE - SEPTEMBER 22: Abbi Pulling of Great Britain and Rodin Motorsport (9) drives — Pulling currently leads the F1 ACADEMY drivers' standings by 95 points

“[I’m] super impressed about Abbi's season,” the Frenchman commented during the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend. “Especially how she's improved over the time she's been driving in single-seaters. She's really been working super well.

“She’s one of those drivers that trains super hard, stays with the team. She's really involved into listening to us in Formula 1. We get feedback as well from their driving, when they drive before us at times, and it's always very valid, the information we get.

“And, yeah, she’s been super impressive in what she's done, and I hope that she can wrap up the title this year.”

Alpine Team Principal Oakes – who has experience of working with up-and-coming drivers, having previously founded the Hitech Grand Prix team that competes in Formula 2 and Formula 3 – is also hopeful for what Pulling can achieve in the future.

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 05: Race winner Abbi Pulling of Great Britain and Rodin Motorsport (9) — Pulling has taken seven victories and seven pole positions across the first five rounds of the 2024 F1 ACADEMY season

“Obviously, even before I took this role, I'd seen her in the British racing scene,” said Oakes. “And then with F1 ACADEMY supporting a few weekends this far in F1, it's been great to see her success.

“I think she's definitely on the right path to keep progressing through the ladder. I think obviously it was one of the first questions in an Enstone debrief, actually, ‘What are the plans for her for the future?’

“She’s pretty close to wrapping [the F1 ACADEMY title] up. So I think in due course, you'll see what she's going to be racing in. But it's definitely exciting to see her with the success she's having there.”