Gosberton ace Abbi Pulling makes more racing history
Gosberton race ace Abbi Pulling has made yet more history.
The 23-year-old rising star last weekend became the first female driver to win a GB3 Championship race at Spa-Francorchamps, a series three steps below Formula 1, last weekend.
Landing herself in pole position - also a first for a female racer - and with the race rescheduled due to persistent heavy rain, Abbi drove a magnificent lights-to-flag victory.
This milestone builds on her incredible career to date, winning the 2024 F1 Academy season, being the first woman to drive an F1 car in Saudi Arabia, and the first woman to win a race in British Formula 4, a series competed in by Lando Norris and George Russell on their way to F1.
“I’m absolutely over the moon,” she said.
“I always say I want to get places on merit and show that I can compete at the front no matter what, no matter the competition. I’ve done that today.
“I’m just happy I got racing; happy I got the result. I tried really hard. I can’t thank the Rodin Motorsport team enough and everyone around me.”
The opening race was abandoned due to torrential rain and thunderstorms at the home of F1's Belgian Grand Prix before sunny skies dried the circuit.
A mid-race safety car increased the pressure on Pulling, but the Rodin Motorsport driver aced the restart to secure victory ahead of championship leader Nikita Bedrin.
It is a significant moment not only in her career but also for F1 Academy.
Abbi moved into GB3 after receiving a fully funded seat with Rodin for 2025 as a reward for becoming F1 Academy champion.
Unlike in 2025, when her F1 Academy win funded much of her racing budget, Abbi has had to secure much of her racing budget independently this season.
Away from her competitive racing season, Abbi is a development driver for the Nissan Formula E Team, working on simulator testing during race weekends with the reigning World Drivers' Champions.
The Team won their first race of the season in Monaco a few weeks ago.
A long-standing beneficiary of the Motorsport UK Academy, Pulling began her motorsport journey at the age of eight and entered competitive karting a year later in 2013. Her talent quickly became evident as she claimed the British Super 1 National Junior TKM Championship title in both 2017 and 2018 before making the transition to car racing.
Like many rising stars in the sport, Pulling gained valuable early experience in the highly competitive Ginetta Junior Championship before progressing to single-seaters. Her career highlights include winning the all-female F1 Academy championship in 2024, a success that further cemented her reputation as one of Britain’s most promising young drivers.