FIA history made as Pulling tops Formula E all-female test

F1 Academy championship leader Abbi Pulling topped the timesheets in the Formula E all-women test at the Jarama Circuit, as FIA history was made. 

The three-hour test in the brand-new Gen3 EVO machinery marked the first all-female test to be hosted by an FIA world championship. 

Pulling, who is also part of the Alpine Academy, set a brilliant 1:30.889, a time which was just over three seconds down on the fastest time in the official FE pre-season testing.

This is despite the actual FE drivers having driven the circuit for 18 hours, across six three-hour sessions this week in Madrid. 

Without any experience of the circuit or the car, it was a staggering performance by the British driver. 

Jamie Chadwick was second and only three tenths down on Pulling, whilst McLaren’s Bianca Bustamante was third, just under one-second adrift of her F1 Academy counterpart. 

There was a brief red flag with just under 30 minutes remaining after Jessica Edgar went off at Turn 3. Thankfully, the DS Penske she was driving did not sustain any serious damage.