Most of you reading this will know the name Abbi Pulling. At only twenty-two years of age, it may also seem that she’s been around for a lot longer than that age suggests. But that just showcases that despite the numerous obstacles thrown her way, from financial struggles to difficult results, Pulling has been able to overcome each and every one of them to succeed, dominate and most importantly, stay relevant and in people’s minds in one of the most cutthroat sports on the planet.
With Formula 3 as the next logical step for the British Driver, The Paddock Chronicle makes the case for why she not only deserves to be on that grid in 2026 but also asks the question that if she isn’t, why not?
Karting Champion Origins
Born in Lincolnshire in 2003, Abbi Pulling was firmly on the go-karting scene when she was ten years old. For the next six years, Abbi honed her racecraft, winning three karting championships across 2017 and 2018. This included the Super One National Kart Championship Series.
Switching to the Ginetta Championship for two years, it wasn’t long before Abbi found herself making her single seater debut. She did this in 2020 in the British F4 Championship where she raced for JHR Developments. In her first season, she took on and beat the likes of Christian Mansell, Roman Bilinski and Reema Juffali. Abbi racked up four podiums that season and finished the year in P6.
W Series
In 2021, she burst onto the scene in W Series. Stepping into the series for the first time at her home race at Silverstone, Abbi would impress everyone with a P8 finish. Three rounds later, she would return to the series at Zandvoort where she went one better to finish in P7. But it was at the final round of the season in Austin, Texas, where Abbi Pulling would really begin to turn heads and force people to take notice of her. On that occasion, Abbi secured Pole Position and finished in P2 in only her fourth race. Having only competed in 50% of the races that season, Pulling finished in P7 overall. She was just two points shy of Fabienne Wohlwend in P6 too.
Pulling returned to W Series full time in 2022. That season, she didn’t finish outside of the top ten once – one of only two drivers to do so, the other being Beitske Visser. With two further podiums to her name, she finished the season in fourth, just behind her mentor Alice Powell. The youngster beat household names such as Marta Garcia, Bianca Bustamante and Chloe Chambers overall that year too.
Abbi Pulling in F1 Academy
While Marta Garcia got her own back by dominating the newly established F1 Academy in its inaugural season in 2023, Abbi Pulling still put in a very strong showing all year long. Seven podiums came her way in 2023. But that elusive first win in single seaters continued to be just out of reach. P5 overall was where Pulling would end the year. She was six points away from Nerea Marti but with a sizeable gulf of fifty-eight points to Amna Al Qubaisi behind her.
“We need to show that we are creating the right platform for drivers to progress upwards, so I’ll be following Abbi’s races very closely and it’s very important to me that she goes on to be successful in the next category up.” – Susie Wolff
Then, last year, it was time for Abbi to turn the wick up. Pulling obliterated the competition in F1 Academy, winning the title to boot. The Alpine F1 Team supported her too. In return, Pulling provided them with their most successful driver in their respect series in quite some time. Her lowest finishing result for the entire season was third place – which happened once. Read that again. In every other race, she either finished in first or second place. Nine wins, fourteen podiums, ten pole positions and six fastest laps all helped her on her way to winning the title. She was one hundred and twenty-one points clear of Mercedes backed Doriane Pin in second place. Pulling was also a whopping one hundred and sixty two points ahead of Maya Weug in third. That’s domination in one of its most dominant forms.
Back to Britain
Last year, Abbi also raced again in British F4, this time for Rodin Motorsport. While she didn’t compete for the full season, she made another lasting impression on the series. Pulling made three more podium appearances, including a win at Brands Hatch.
Pulling went to compete in the GB3 Championship in 2025, competing again for Rodin Motorsport. Abbi currently sits in P12 in the standings at the time of writing, with six races remaining on the calendar. Her best result so far has been another podium finish – this one thanks to a P3 at Brands Hatch.
Importantly, as noted, for both seasons in F1 Academy and her GB4 and GB3 campaigns, Abbi has been racing for Rodin Motorsport. This is crucial because they have a team in both Formula 3 and Formula 2. They’re an outfit that likes to promote from within, developing their own talent over a number of years.
“Obviously, Abbi Pulling is one of ours now. She’s supported by Rodin, and if she does well enough in her series that she’s in now, then absolutely she’ll be looked at as someone that we could give a shot in F3.” – Sam Waple, Rodin Motorsport Team Principal, Formula 3
It would be fair to say that in their time together so far, Pulling has done nothing but showcase her vast skills behind the wheel of a single seater. This fact combined with the supportive notions coming from Rodin Motorsport show why a step up the motorsport ladder would be the natural progression for their partnership. Not to do so would raise questions. It would also leave the team open to losing Pulling to a rival outfit that is willing to give her the shot she deserves in the next category up.
Formula 3 Testing
At this point, it’s time for a quick trip back to the recent past to further highlight the value of Abbi Pulling.
Back in September 2022, Pulling got the opportunity to test drive a F3 car at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. It’s important to note too that this was before both the Formula 2 and the Formula 3 cars had been redesigned to better accommodate all body types in a bid to help level the playing field. While only a test, it’s another advantage that Pulling has over her competitors. It’s also another contributing factor that helps to ask the question: why would Abbi Pulling not be offered a seat in Formula 3 for 2026?
Forays into Formula 1 and Formula E
Furthermore, ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2022, Abbi, along with Aseel Al Hamad, became the first women to drive a Formula 1 car in Saudi Arabia. This was part of a demonstration held by Alpine. The optics of the demonstration are crucial. This is because in just a few short years, the world has seen Abbi Pulling in F4, F3 and F1 machinery in a number of iconic locations across the globe. If that’s not the living embodiment of Susie Wolff’s motto of “If you can’t see it, you can’t believe it.”, then what is?
“I started racing when I was just eight years old, always with the goal of reaching Formula 1, and I am so pleased to have got that little bit closer.” – Abbi Pulling
What’s more, earlier this year, the Nissan Formula E Team recently signed Abbi Pulling be their test and reserve driver. She also took part in the Formula E rookie test in Berlin back in July. Familiar names such as Jamie Chadwick, Bianca Bustamante and Ella Lloyd also participated in this unique Formula E outing. Different teams and race series can see the potential in Abbi Pulling – and it’s backed up by results. Otherwise, she wouldn’t get these opportunities.
What’s Next for Abbi Pulling?
Motorsport is all about pushing the limits of what is possible – both inside the car and out. Drivers who stay in the same place for too long risk losing out on opportunities to progress. They also risk being overlooked for fresher, hungrier and potentially more capable drivers. For Abbi Pulling though, she’s consistently been progressing, improving and demonstrating her worth across the racing landscape.
In terms of what a team is looking for in a driver to promote them into Formula 3, Abbi Pulling ticks an awful lot of boxes. Experience in a Formula 3 car? Check. Winning races across multiple Championships? Check. Achieving podiums across multiple championships? Check. Winning a Championship? Check.
All of this has been done with a limited budget too, making it all the more impressive. She’s proven to be innovative and resourceful which is crucial in all aspects of racing, again both on and off track. For example, she set up her own merchandise for fans to buy and to help fund her career. This part of her career was examined in further detail in the Netflix Docuseries, F1 – The Academy.
The Rocky Balboa Approach
Also highlighted in the show was Pulling’s commitment to training and improving herself. While all drivers obviously train, some can afford to also rely on deep financial resources, social media popularity, etc. to work hand in hand with their on track abilities. Playing with the cards that she’s been dealt, Abbi uses everything around her to the best of her advantage. This is a key trait for a team looking for a driver that will maximise their capabilities with the limited resources available. It’s that skill that enabled her to instantly make her mark in W Series. It’s why she knew she had to dominate in 2024 if she was going to have a future in motorsport. There wasn’t, and isn’t, a plan B.
Like Rocky Balboa or Adonis Creed, Abbi’s had to go one step, one punch, one round at a time. With each success, she keeps taking the next opportunity until either she succeeds in reaching the top or her chances are spent. It’s all or nothing.
“Abbi’s best shot at looking at an F3 seat is for either 26 or 27.” – Sam Waple, Rodin Motorsport Team Principal, Formula 3
Finally, given that drivers who finished outside the top ten in GB3 last year —and further back too— made it into Formula 3 and Indy NXT, signing Abbi Pulling, even if she also finished outside the top ten, wouldn’t be seen as unwarranted or pandering to an agenda either. It would be normal. There are six races left in the 2025 GB3 season and there’s all to play for for Pulling. She’s got to keep punching.
The Case for Abbi Pulling
Every year, thirty drivers take to the track in Formula 3 as they race around the world on the same race weekends as Formula 1 – the pinnacle of motorsport that they all want to reach. Two heartbeats away from the top tier of racing, simply making it to Formula 3 is considered a victory in itself. The spotlight is thrust upon drivers in such a way that it simply never has been before. Competing in Formula 3 therefore is as much a challenge off track, as it is on it. With that challenge though comes the potential for life-changing rewards but also high stake risks. If you don’t perform, it’s on full display for all to see and switching from hero to zero can occur in the blink of an eye.
At the time of writing, two seats have been claimed for the 2026 Formula 3 grid. But there is someone else who deserves a spot in that field for next year. You’ve just read an article about her stacked with reasons justify the promotion. Abbi Pulling deserves a shot to become the first woman to compete in Formula 3 since Sophia Flörsch. If she isn’t there next year, it will raise questions and imply that Pulling has somehow not done enough to warrant a seat and cast an unwelcome shadow over F1 Academy. But given all of the reasoning and results above, if that’s not enough for Abbi Pulling to deserve a chance to show what she’s capable of in Formula 3, then what would be?
Feature Image: Alpine Media Centre