Abbi Pulling has countered Max Verstappen’s critique of the F1 Academy, highlighting the achievements of last year’s champion, Marta Garcia, who has progressed to the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) with Prema Racing, thanks to her title win.
Pulling disagreed with Verstappen’s assessment that there is no clear next step for F1 Academy participants, emphasizing the opportunities available, especially for championship winners.
She mentioned that if she were to win this year’s championship, she believes similar or even greater opportunities would be presented.
Pulling also mentioned her own performance in the recent F1 Academy races, where she finished second on track but later secured a victory in Race 2 due to a penalty given to Mercedes’ Doriane Pin. As of now, Pulling leads the championship standings, with Maya Weug in second place and Pin in third, with the next races scheduled for the Miami Grand Prix.