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Lusail Preview: Talking points ahead of Round 6
The end might be drawing near, but sparks are about to fly as F1 ACADEMY embarks on a trip to Qatar for the first of its season-concluding double-header.
Abbi Pulling and Doriane Pin are still vying for the 2024 Drivers’ crown, whilst the Teams’ title remains a tightly contested affair with three squads still in with a shot at glory.
Before we hit the ground running, here is all you need to know ahead of the penultimate round at the Lusail International Circuit.
WILL WE SEE OUR 2024 CHAMPION CROWNED THIS WEEKEND?
After two sweeping victories in Singapore, Standings’ leader Pulling has every chance of sealing the deal in Lusail, but Pin will try to do all she can to keep her title dreams alive.
The Alpine driver’s back-to-back wins have moved her 95 points clear of Pin, with 112 points left on the table across the final two rounds. Simply, Pulling needs to earn 18 points during her time in Qatar to become the Champion — regardless of the Mercedes junior’s performances.
WATCH: Catch Qualifying and both Races live on F1 ACADEMY's YouTube channel
That means a win, a P2 finish or third with pole and the fastest lap would be enough for her to wrap up the fight by the end of Race 1. Additionally, one more visit to the top spot for the #9 Rodin Motorsport car would see Pulling set a new record for the most victories in a season, overtaking 2023 Champion Marta García’s total of seven.
However, during in-season testing earlier this month, it was Pin who seemed more at home around the fast-flowing 5.4km circuit, finishing quickest on all three days of running. Stepping into the unknown for Saturday’s late night race, it’ll be a battle under the floodlights to see who can best manage the switch to cooler conditions.
FIERCE TOP THREE FIGHT
Although third-placed Maya Weug will play no part in the Drivers’ title battle — sitting 125 points behind Pulling — the Ferrari driver is still in with a shot at the runner-up spot and is looking to seal a maiden victory that has eluded her so far.
Getting the better of Pin with her strongest weekend of the year in Singapore, Weug has a 30-point deficit to overcome if she wants to move ahead of her teammate.
The battle for the top three between PREMA Racing’s Pin and Weug and Campos Racing’s Chloe Chambers and Nerea Martí will be a pivotal factor in the Teams’ title fight, with third to fifth separated by only 19 points. PREMA lead the way by seven points from Rodin and Campos are a further 52 points back, with a maximum of 122 points up for grabs in Qatar.
BLOCK HAS SILVERWARE IN HER SIGHTS
When Lia Block first set foot in a single-seater car, there were questions about how she’d handle the shift away from rallying in such a short space of time. The answer — she’s taken the challenge in her stride.
Although there have been some snags along the way, Block showed why Williams put their faith in her. Points in six of the last seven races is a solid feat, but it was her showing last time out in Singapore that stole the show.
Securing two P4 starts in her best-ever Qualifying, the American driver fiercely held on to them to seal an impressive 24-point haul. Elevated to eighth in the Standings as a result, Block is now ready to prove that it’s not a one-off.
If her steady curve of improvement is anything to go by, she could threaten the season’s leading contenders with a late charge for the podium. Whilst a win might be out of her reach, her ART Grand Prix team could have a chance at ending their podium drought — the longest on the grid — having not brought home silverware since Bianca Bustamante’s P2 finish in Miami Race 2.
WELCOMING OUR FIFTH WILD CARD
A new face joins the field in Qatar, with British racer Alisha Palmowski becoming the fifth driver this season to step into the Wild Card spot. It’s been a remarkable debut year in single-seaters for the 18-year-old, who recently finished runner-up in the GB4 Championship.
READ MORE: Alisha Palmowski confirmed as Wild Card entry for Round 6 in Qatar
If her times during Lusail testing are anything to go by, Palmowski has already made her presence known. After topping the opening morning, she finished no lower than sixth across the six sessions and ended the final afternoon 0.314s off Pin’s leading pace.
Racing outside the UK and alongside Formula 1 for the first time, it remains to be seen how she copes with the added pressure of the biggest stage of her career so far, but the two Free Practice opportunities should put Palmowski in a strong position to show what she’s made of out on track.