The storylines to watch out for as F1 ACADEMY kicks off its title-deciding double-header in Lusail

Two months since the last time the lights went out for F1 ACADEMY, the paddock has arrived in Qatar for the penultimate round of the 2024 campaign.

With three days of testing in the books around the Lusail International Circuit, there are plenty of talking points to keep an eye on as the final flurry of action gets underway.

Pulling nearing title glory

An almost unstoppable force all season, Abbi Pulling heads to Qatar on the verge of being crowned Champion. The Alpine driver has swept seven wins in 10 races, finishing no lower than third all season long, rewarding her with a 95-point lead.

Mercedes’ Doriane Pin has been her closest competition, winning the opening race in Jeddah and Race 2 in Zandvoort. However, the French driver has struggled to match Pulling’s consistency, giving the Briton the opportunity to seal the title by the end of Race 1.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 19: Abbi Pulling of Great Britain and Rodin Motorsport — Abbi Pulling could seal the F1 ACADEMY title in Qatar

With 112 points left to play for across the final four races, an 84-point advantage would be enough for Pulling to become Champion. If she scores 18 points by either winning, finishing second or third with the bonus points for fastest lap and pole, Pulling would take her total to 263 and put herself out of Pin’s reach — even if Pin brought home maximum points.

Palmowski’s chance to shake-up the order

The fifth Wild Card of the season, Alisha Palmowski will be hoping to impress on her F1 ACADEMY debut and with two of this season’s Wild Card drivers already signed for full-time seats in 2025, she’ll be eager to make that three.

The GB4 Championship runner-up has already shown how quickly she can get up to speed as the 18-year-old finished no lower than sixth during testing. Whilst racing outside the UK and alongside Formula 1 for the first time might be a daunting task, she seems more than ready to throw her lot in and go toe-to-toe with the field’s leading contenders.

LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - NOVEMBER 28: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally enhanced.) Alisha — Wild Card Alisha Palmowski will be hoping to showcase her skills across the Qatar weekend

Teams’ title fight roars on

As things stand, it’s PREMA Racing who lead the way by seven points — with their efforts headed by Pin and third-place Maya Weug of Ferrari.

Pulling has been the driving force behind second-place Rodin Motorsport, accumulating 245 of the team’s 280-point haul. Campos Racing are keeping it a three-way battle, chasing a 59-point deficit to PREMA.

Of the trio, Rodin have scored the most wins with seven — all courtesy of Pulling. Meanwhile, PREMA and Campos have benefitted from more podiums overall, with the Italian squad netting 12 podiums, including two wins, and Campos have one win and five additional top-three finishes.

The 244 points left on the table across the final two rounds means that the Teams’ title won’t be decided in Qatar, but how this weekend plays out could have a vital impact on who eventually claims the crown.

LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - NOVEMBER 12: Doriane Pin of France and PREMA Racing (28) prepares to drive in — Doriane Pin has spearheaded PREMA's efforts in the Teams' title alongside third-placed Maya Weug

Final chances to impress

The driver market is in full swing with five seats already filled for next year’s campaign. Of the six full-time drivers eligible to return for a second campaign, only Chloe Chambers has her plans sorted — with the American driver representing Red Bull Ford on the 2025 grid.

This means Pin, Weug, Lia Block, Aurelia Nobels and Tina Hausmann all have their own targets to meet before the season’s end. Alongside helping PREMA fight for the Teams’ title, Weug is chomping at the bit to secure her maiden win in the series.

Meanwhile, Williams driver Block is riding high from her back-to-back P4 finishes in Singapore, her best results since her transition to single-seaters this season. PUMA driver Nobels and Aston Martin’s Hausmann have both had mixed runs of result this season, but both will want to end their rookie campaigns on a high heading into winter break.