Pulling dominates delayed first race as jump start costs Pin second · RaceFans

Alpine junior Abbi Pulling dominated the first F1 Academy race at Zandvoort as rival Doriane Pin lost second place to a jump start penalty.

Pulling led every lap from pole position to take a comfortable fifth win of the season.

Nerea Marti was elevated to second place after Pin’s post-race time penalty dropped her to fifth, with Maya Weug taking third.

Originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon, the opening race of the weekend was postponed until Sunday morning due to severe wind and rain hitting the Zandvoort circuit before the start. The race distance was also reduced from 17 to 13 laps.

Pole winner Pulling held onto the lead off the line at the start, with Pin resisting a challenge from Marti into the first corner, Tarzan, to keep second place. Pulling took advantage of the clear air in front of her and quickly established a lead of over three seconds over Pin before the end of the fifth lap.

In the early laps, race control announced that several drivers were under investigation for potentially jumping the start, including Pin, Lola Lovinfosse and Amna Al Qubaisi. Lovinfosse was cleared by the stewards but Al Qubaisi and Pin were assessed five second penalties by the stewards, putting the Mercedes-affiliated driver’s position in jeopardy.

Pulling continued to lead out front, with her lead stabilising at around four seconds over Pin. Despite being given orders to push because of her penalty, Pin appeared unable to make up ground on the leader.

Pulling kept in control over the remaining laps to take the chequered flag first to win her fifth race of the season and fifth from the first seven rounds of the championship, further extending her comfortable championship lead. Pin finished just under four seconds behind Pulling in second, but dropped behind Nerea Marti and Maya Weug, who took the final podium places, as well as behind wildcard entrant Nina Gademan in an impressive fourth.

Pin was therefore classified in fifth ahead of Chloe Chambers, Aurelia Nobels, Hamda Al Qubaisi, Lia Block and Carrie Schreiner, who claimed the final point in tenth. The second race will take place at 10:40am local time, with Pin on pole position.

Race results