GB3: Abbi Pulling twice on the podium at Donington
- RACERS
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Abbi Pulling enjoyed one of her strongest weekends in GB3 to date at Donington Park, securing two podium finishes across the three races to mark the first time she had scored multiple top three results at the same event in the championship.
Abbi Pulling enjoyed one of her strongest weekends in GB3 to date at Donington Park, securing two podium finishes across the three races to mark the first time she had scored multiple top three results at the same event in the championship.
The Rodin Motorsport driver delivered strong pace throughout the sixth round of the season, converting an impressive qualifying performance into third place in the opening race before fighting through the midfield in Race 2 and returning to the podium in the finale, where she also led laps. The results brought Pulling’s GB3 podium tally to four and moved her to eighth in the championship standings with 196 points.
The weekend had initially offered mixed indications during pre-event testing, with Pulling ending Thursday inside the overall top ten on combined times before finding Friday more challenging. The front-running pace however returned when it mattered most in qualifying.
Pulling made steady progress during the opening qualifying session, initially setting a 1:21.9 before improving to a 1:21.477 to move into sixth place. She remained around the top ten for much of the session before producing her strongest lap when it mattered, gaining significant time through the opening sector to set a 1:20.908 on her final attempt. The improvement lifted her to fourth on the grid for Race 1, an excellent effort and a strong indication of the potential.
The second qualifying session was disrupted by two red flags, limiting the opportunities for further improvements. After the first stoppage, Pulling returned to the track and set a 1:21.1 to run tenth with four minutes remaining, subsequently improving to 1:21.074. She was classified 11th when the session was interrupted for a second time with barely two minutes remaining, leaving her to start Race 2 from the fifth row.
Pulling made an immediate impact when Race 1 got underway in sunny conditions. Starting fourth, she launched aggressively and took the inside line, engaging in a wheel-to-wheel battle with Rodin Motorsport teammate Rehm. Pulling refused to yield through the opening corners and emerged from the fight in third place, while Wilson and Vinci both went off into the gravel as the race continued without a safety car.
Ahead, Fairclough had taken the lead from Bedrin, while Pulling immediately began closing on Bedrin in the battle for second. With Rehm and Molnar fighting behind her, Pulling was able to concentrate on the two leaders and soon settled into a strong rhythm, setting a 1:21.3 and building a gap of more than one second over Rehm.
The situation changed on lap seven when Rehm closed back onto Pulling and made contact with his teammate. Pulling was forced wide and lost valuable time, but she managed to keep the car on track and retain third place. The incident left her around six seconds behind the leading pair, while Martin Molnar began to close from behind.
Pulling responded with another competitive lap of 1:21.2 and gradually began to rebuild her advantage over Molnar. At the front, Fairclough and Bedrin were fighting closely for victory, a battle which cost both drivers some pace and helped Pulling limit the gap. The British driver remained composed throughout the closing stages, maintaining a consistent advantage over Molnar.
Pulling ultimately crossed the finish line in third place to claim her third GB3 career podium, completing a controlled and highly competitive race.
Starting Race 2 from tenth on Sunday morning, Pulling immediately went on the offensive. She battled Campbell-Pilling through the Old Hairpin and initially held tenth before moving up to ninth. Her progress was then interrupted by a safety car after championship leader Nikita Bedrin went into the barriers.
The race resumed with 16 minutes remaining and Pulling immediately began attacking Bouzinelos. Further incidents soon disrupted the field, with Gonzalez and Baptista making contact at the chicane before Jack Taylor and Baptista were involved in another collision that sent cars into the barriers and brought the safety car out again.
The restart came at the end of lap 10 with only five minutes remaining, and Pulling once again attacked immediately. She went for a move on Bouzinelos but was forced onto the outside line, where she then had to defend from Fu. The pair ran side by side through the first sector, with Pulling briefly clipping the gravel but keeping control of the car and retaining the position.
Pulling spent the remainder of the race caught between Bouzinelos ahead and Fu behind, managing the pressure effectively to bring the car home in ninth place. The result represented another gain and kept her in the fight at the sharp end of the midfield.
The final race of the weekend provided Pulling with another opportunity from sixth on the grid, and she produced arguably her most impressive launch of the event. Going around the outside of the first corner, she gained three positions in the opening sequence to emerge in third.
Pulling initially had to defend from Bouzinelos, although pressure from Jackes on the latter gave her some breathing room through the closing corners of the second lap. The race then changed dramatically when Lee went off while battling Campbell-Pilling, allowing Pulling to seize the opportunity and move into the lead.
Her advantage proved short-lived; Campbell-Pilling fought back and came close to contact at the final corner before using DRS to pass Pulling down the following straight and retake first place. At the same time, Bouzinelos drew alongside Pulling, leaving the Rodin driver to fall back to third within just a few corners.
Pulling then faced pressure from Jackes but managed to settle into third and gradually shake off the challenge. With the gaps stabilizing at around one second both ahead and behind, she maintained a strong and consistent pace as the race entered its final stages.
With five minutes remaining, Pulling began closing back in on Bouzinelos, setting a 1:21.8 and gaining several tenths per lap. By lap 18, the gap had been reduced to around half a second, although there was ultimately not enough time to launch a serious challenge for second.
Pulling nevertheless completed the weekend with another third-place finish, securing her second podium of the event and making Donington Park the first round of her GB3 career at which she had scored two rostrum finishes.
The result marked a significant breakthrough for Pulling after some challenging rounds in which her pace had frequently been compromised by incidents and mechanical setbacks.
Pulling now sits eighth in the GB3 championship standings on 196 points, with the penultimate round of the season scheduled for Brands Hatch on September 26-27.
