F1 Academy Miami GP: Weekend Analysis
The second round of the 2024 F1 Academy season took place down south as the drivers headed to beachy Miami. Championship leader Abbi Pulling and’ Doriane Pin's rivalry started hot and heavy with Pin setting the pace in FP1 with Pulling only 0.70s behind her. However, FP1 the Mercedes Academy driver’s time at the top was short-lived as the Alpine driver was able to take top billing by over two-tenths.
Qualifying
Pulling’s FP2 result was about to be replicated during qualifying with the Briton securing pole ahead of Pin by 0.5 74 for Race 1 with Red Bulls’ Hamda Al-Qubasi in third. Race 2’s results saw Pin being demoted to P3 with McLaren’s Bianca Bustamante acting as the sandwich.
Elsewhere, Lola Lovinfosse’s actions from Jeddah, which saw her responsible for Lia Block’s DNF during Race 2, were met with consequences in the form of a five-place grid penalty that left the Charlotte Tilbury’s qualifying efforts useless as she qualified outside the top 10 with Jessica Edgar being promoted to P10 - no doubt making her new American sponsors proud in their home race.
Race 1
With the two rivals starting side-by-side, fans were set for an enthralling cat-and-mouse game between the pair as the lights went out. However, as expected due to the hot weather, Pin locked-up within the first couple of corners giving Pulling the chance to drive off into the sunset. The race was neutralised after barely half a lap following a collision between Aston Martin’s Tina Haussmann and PUMA’s Aurelia Nobels with Nobels earning a 10-second penalty.
Pin wasn’t the only victim of the hot temperature and tyre issues, Campos’ Nerea Marti suffered a lock-up during her battle with Nobles but was able to hold position despite going deep. Bustamante was given a five-second penalty after cutting the chicane during her sensational comeback that saw her finish ninth after stalling on the grid.
Pulling won by over five seconds from Pin with home-hero Chloe Chambers taking the final podium slot.
Source: f1academy.com
Race 2
Pulling’s second attempt at driving off into the sunset wasn’t as easy with Bustamante looking to earn decent points following Race 1’s troubles. The two stayed stuck like glue from each other for a majority of the race with Pulling finishing only three seconds ahead of the Filipina. Pin was able to secure another podium and keep herself in contention for the championship with only 23 points separating the two.
Lovinfosse left the weekend with minor injury following an incident with Nobles whilst RB’s Emely De Heus left the weekend with a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage during her battle with Lia Block in her home race. De Heus was demoted to P12 which left both Block and Wildcard entry Courtney Crone satisfied with both finishing P10 and 11 respectively.
Championship Standings (Drivers)
P1 Pulling Rodin Motorsport (99)
P2 Pin PREMA Racing (65)
P3 Weug PREMA Racing (51)
P4 Chambers Campos Racing (40)
P5 Bustamante ART (39)
P6 Marti Campos Racing (33)
P7 H Al Qubaisi MP Motorsport (30)
P8 Edgar Rodin Motorsport (18)
P9 A Al Qubasi MP Motorsport (12)
P10 Schreiner Campos Racing (9)
Championship Standings (Teams):
P1 PREMA Racing (124)
P2 Rodin Motorsport (122)
P3 Campos Racing (82)
P4 ART Grand Prix (46)
P5 MP Motorsport (42)
