GB3: Abbi Pulling battles to double top-10 after technical issues denies her podium fight
Abbi Pulling endured a frustrating weekend at Brands Hatch, recovering from a technical retirement while battling for the podium to secure two top-10 results in the GB3 Championship's seventh round of the season.
Abbi Pulling endured a frustrating weekend at Brands Hatch, recovering from a technical retirement while battling for the podium to secure two top-10 results in the GB3 Championship's seventh round of the season.
The Rodin Motorsport driver had shown front-running pace throughout the weekend, but a difficult start in Race 1 and an unfortunate technical issue while fighting for the podium in Race 2 prevented her from converting that speed into the results she had been targeting. Pulling nevertheless fought back in the final race, taking ninth and adding valuable points to her championship tally.
Pulling arrived at Brands Hatch with considerable momentum following one of her strongest GB3 weekends of the season at Donington Park, where she scored two podium finishes across the three races, including third place in the opening race and another podium in race 3, where she also led laps. The double podium marked the first time she had achieved multiple top-three finishes at the same GB3 event and brought her season podium tally to four, while her strong run of form had lifted her to eighth in the championship standings.
That momentum was reinforced during the build-up to the Brands Hatch meeting. Two weeks before the event, Pulling topped the combined times during the pre-event test with a 1:16.593, again showcasing her front-running pace around the Grand Prix circuit. She then travelled to Indianapolis for the opportunity to drive an Indy NXT car for the first time during the collective test, an encouraging experience as she adapted to the considerably different machinery before returning to Brands Hatch just days later.
Pulling was immediately back near the front when GB3 running resumed, finishing third fastest during Friday's running on the Indy layout with a 41.387 before the championship returned to the full GP configuration. She again placed third in official practice, setting a 1:16.646 that left her only three tenths away from the benchmark.
Pulling continued her strong form into qualifying, initially moving into fourth with a 1:17.3 before improving to 1:17.129 for sixth. She subsequently lowered her time to 1:16.956 to secure sixth on the grid for Race 1, around half a second from pole.
The second qualifying session proved even stronger. Pulling quickly reached the 1:19.3 range and moved into third, while also recording a purple first sector as she searched for further time. A 1:16.933 briefly put her at the top of the timing sheets before improvements from Fairclough and Campbell-Pilling shuffled her back. Pulling responded with a 1:16.442, remaining in the fight at the sharp end and ultimately qualifying fourth.
Starting sixth, Pulling endured a difficult opening lap as she was boxed in approaching Paddock Hill Bend and lost five positions, dropping to 11th. She however immediately began working her way back toward the front, initially focusing on Dante Vinci.
Pulling settled into the leading group, circulating in the 1:18.6 range and remaining close enough to attack, although the train ahead made overtaking difficult. She eventually made her move on Vinci on lap 13, gaining a position and breaking into the top ten.
With clear air beginning to help her pace, Pulling then turned her attention to Lucas Fluxá ahead. She gradually reduced the deficit, coming close to closing the approximately two-second gap, but the remaining laps were not enough to complete another overtake.
She crossed the line tenth, a respectable top-ten result given the tricky start, although her pace suggested that a considerably stronger result had been possible.
Sunday morning's second race took place under sunny skies, with Pulling starting from fourth and once again in position to fight for the podium. She attempted to make the most of the opening corners by going three-wide into Turn 1 after another really strong start, but ultimately had to slot back into fourth.
The race was soon neutralised after Nobels was caught up in a contact, with a heavy impact sending the Brazilian into the barriers after she was hit at the right rear. The safety car was deployed, bunching the field together ahead of the restart on lap four.
Pulling held fourth through the restart, with Rodin Motorsport teammate Rehm close behind, but she maintained her position and began looking forward rather than backward. Her attention soon shifted to Bedrin, who was directly ahead and increasingly under pressure from Pulling as she tucked into his slipstream.
With Pulling attacking for third while simultaneously having to manage the pressure from Rehm behind, the race appeared to be developing into another podium opportunity. Instead, disaster struck on lap eight when Pulling slowed with a gearbox issue and was forced to park the car, bringing her race to an abrupt end.
It was a particularly frustrating retirement given the pace Pulling had demonstrated and her position in the fight for the podium, turning what had looked like another opportunity for a strong result into her sixth DNF of the season.
Pulling started the final race from ninth on the grid under overcast skies, but made an excellent launch and immediately gained two positions heading into the demanding Paddock Hill Bend. Her momentum did not last, however, as she lost several places over the following corners and eventually settled into tenth.
She was immediately forced onto the defensive, with Fairclough applying pressure. The two cars ran side-by-side toward the end of the opening lap, with Fairclough almost on the grass before eventually forcing his way past. Championship leader Nikita Bedrin also took advantage, going around the outside at Turn 1 on the second lap.
Pulling then came under further pressure as Campbell-Pilling and Jackes moved through, with Pulling also having to take avoiding action around Jackes. Bedrin subsequently received a jump-start penalty, but the championship leader's eventual demotion would only become relevant later in the race.
The intense battle left Pulling down in 13th, but she settled back into her rhythm and began another recovery. Running in the 1:18.5 range, she first passed Molnar before reclaiming a position from Jackes on lap nine to move into 11th.
Once in clear air, Pulling could finally exploit her pace; she began closing on Campbell-Pilling, reducing the gap to approximately two seconds while keeping Jackes within half a second behind. A 1:18.265 displayed her speed, with Pulling gaining six tenths on that lap alone.
She continued to close during the final laps, gaining another full second as she chased Campbell-Pilling, eventually crossing the line only 0.44 seconds behind. The initial finish of 11th was subsequently improved by penalties, with Bedrin dropping down the classification following his jump-start penalty and Pulling ultimately being classified ninth.
Although she had been unable to convert her speed into the podium result she had been targeting, particularly after her Race 2 retirement, Pulling's recovery in Race 3 ensured that she left Brands Hatch with another top-ten finish and some valuable championship points.
Pulling now sits eighth on 214 points in the GB3 Championship standings and will have one final opportunity to add to her tally at the season finale in Barcelona on November 7–8.
