INTERVIEW: Abbi Pulling on her "super special year" and the new world of GB3

Pulling's reward is a fully-funded drive in this year's GB3 Championship, in which she will again be supported by Rodin Motorsport, a renowned junior series breeding ground given its previous Carlin incarnation that has provided the bedrock of her career in recent times.

You might have expected the F1 Academy success to have changed Pulling to a small extent. Not a bit. When this writer caught up with her, just over 12 months on from an initial interview ahead of last season, the 22-year-old was typically down to earth, and with full focus on what lies ahead.

The latter was evident by the fact Pulling had just stepped off the simulator to conduct the interview, race suit on, cheeks red from the obvious exertion of the session she was undertaking in her bid to get up to speed as quickly as possible with her latest machinery.

"Other than being able to say that I'm a champion, no, not too much," remarked Pulling when asked whether her F1 Academy title had made any impact on her life. "Of course, it's taken a lot of the financial pressure off, so that's been a huge thing for me, obviously.

"The prize of racing in GB3 fully funded, as well as some additional support from Rodin Cars, it's pivotal in my career, and without that support and prize I wouldn't be here now. I'm making sure to make the most of every moment.

"I'm living the dream. This is where I wanted to make the step in the last couple of years. To finally make that step is really fulfilling for me, but now I can only think about it so much. I've got to think about working and the team, and getting our heads around this new car."

For Pulling, winning F1 Academy was the culmination of "a super special year." She concedes she is unlikely to "ever have a season like it again," and no wonder, as it was record-breaking in her metronomic consistency of results and performances.

In addition was the fact that F1 Academy had been given its first season in the spotlight on the undercard of seven Formula 1 Grand Prix, allowing her to compete on renowned circuits and often with plenty of motorsport fans in the grandstands.

"Even the F1 Academy paddock, the atmosphere there, there's just nothing like it," said Pulling. "I'm sad not to see them anymore, but at the end of the day, I've also graduated in a sense.

"Also, it was racing alongside the pinnacle of the sport. You could see where you want to be and it's something quite special.

"I think the GB3 Championship, they've got a really great package, some great tracks, Grand Prix circuits, so it is nothing too unfamiliar. It's an exciting year coming up. I enjoyed last year, but I'm looking forward to this year."

GB3 represents a whole new world for Pulling in terms of machinery compared to the F1 Academy cars, which utilise an F4 chassis and are powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 172PS (127kW).

The GB3 car carries what is described as 'F1-inspired aerodynamics', which for the first time includes DRS. Power comes from a 2.0-litre, normally aspirated engine that delivers 284PS (209kW).

"There are quite a lot of differences," explained Pulling. "The easiest way to describe it, and these numbers aren't exact, but an F4 car is 20 per cent downforce and aero, and 80 per cent mechanical, whereas the GB3 is flipped on its head.”

"The majority is downforce, firing lots of speed into the corners and trusting it's going to stick. The mechanical side is huge and you develop it a lot, but from a driving standpoint, you're always playing with the downforce and how much more you can take into a corner before it doesn't let you take anymore.

"That's going to be a big thing. It's bigger, faster. It's just a whole other beast, but it is so fun to drive. I'm thoroughly enjoying myself and making sure I take a step back and just appreciate that."

One of the crucial elements for Pulling heading into her maiden GB3 campaign is the fact she has Rodin Motorsport in her corner again.

This will be the third year of Pulling's association with the outfit, which she describes as "family." Along with her two seasons in F1 Academy, Rodin also supported her in British F4 last season in which she finished a superb seventh – despite missing two rounds and six races in total, at Donington Park and Silverstone, due to her Academy commitments.

"I know everyone around the workshop, even though the GB3 team is separate from the F1 Academy team," said Pulling. "It's all different personnel when you're coming in and out of the factory as well, but I'm such a social butterfly, I'll go speak to everyone.

"I already knew a lot of the people working on the GB3 side before I even turned a wheel in the car. I think that's important to build that relationship. They've got such a rich history as well. It's been rebranded, but at the end of the day, it's still got that history behind it. They're such a well-established team.”

"Now with [CEO] David Dicker pushing on as well and wanting to strive for greatness, it's just a great place to be and I'm so happy to keep working with the team that took me to the title last year."

There is one discernible difference for Pulling this year compared to recent times: she and Alpine have parted company. She was a member of its driver academy for three years and carried the team's colours on her F1 Academy car last season as part of a greater alliance between F1 and the female series.

"I want to thank Alpine for everything they've done for me," said Pulling. "I joined their academy before I was part of F1 Academy. But it was felt that being with Rodin, a team that has supported me throughout my career so far, would provide me with greater opportunities moving forward."

One year on from her ambitions of winning F1 Academy, naturally, in stepping up in class, Pulling has to be realistic for this year. After the most recent test at Silverstone in late March, Pulling was eighth fastest of 22, 0.7seconds adrift of team-mate and pacesetter Gianmarco Pradel.

"Any competition you go into, it's tough to be at the front," said Pulling. "Obviously, GB3 is no exception and it's definitely going to be tough."

Her confidence knows no limits, though. As she concluded: "I'd love to finish top six, and I think it's achievable. I think I'm fully capable of doing that."

Images courtesy of Getty Images.