Rodin Motorsport’s Abbi Pulling expressed her satisfaction after topping both Friday afternoon practice sessions at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, as the 2026 GB3 Championship prepares for its season finale. However, the British driver remains cautious about her prospects for the weekend, having previously struggled to convert strong practice performances into competitive race results.
The 23-year-old set a 1:33.531 during Free Practice 2, finishing just 0.074 seconds ahead of VRD Racing’s Patricio Gonzalez. She subsequently improved to a 1:32.756 in FP3, establishing a commanding 0.561-second advantage over JHR Developments newcomer Thomas Ingram Hill.
Pulling ended Friday with the third-fastest time overall, just 0.082 seconds behind championship leader Nikita Bedrin’s FP1 benchmark of 1:32.674. Her performances marked a significant improvement from Thursday’s testing, when she finished 11th after encountering several difficulties with her car.
Pulling celebrates commanding FP3 advantage
Pulling’s final practice performance provided an encouraging conclusion to Friday’s running, particularly after she had already topped the preceding session. The Rodin driver produced her fastest lap during the closing ten minutes of FP3, displacing Ingram Hill and establishing a margin that none of her rivals could overcome.
Her advantage stood out in an otherwise closely contested field. Although Pulling finished more than half a second clear, just 0.169 seconds separated Ingram Hill in second and Lewis Wherrell in tenth.
The result also represented her strongest showing of the Barcelona weekend, with Pulling acknowledging the satisfaction of securing such a substantial advantage.
“It’s nice to be able to say that I’ve topped a practice by five tenths,” Pulling said. “It’s not often you get to say that!”
Her performance followed a difficult beginning to the weekend, with Thursday’s four-hour test providing limited opportunities to refine the car’s setup. However, the changes Rodin introduced ahead of Friday’s sessions allowed her to make considerable progress.
Setup changes transform Pulling’s Barcelona performance
Pulling credited the team’s work between Thursday’s testing and Friday’s practice sessions for the improvement in her performance. The British driver had finished 11th during the opening Barcelona test, recording a 1:33.588 after completing fewer laps than many of her competitors.
She explained that several problems had restricted her running on Thursday, preventing her from fully demonstrating the car’s potential.
“We had a lot of issues yesterday and I did one of the fewest laps [on the grid],” she said. “With the setup changes today and things we have done as a team, the car feels mint around here.”
The improvements allowed Pulling to move from sixth in Friday morning’s FP1 to first in FP2, before establishing an even greater advantage during the final session.
Although she delivered the fastest lap in both afternoon sessions, Pulling emphasised that the car’s improved balance had played an important role in her performance.
“I don’t feel that I’m doing anything overly-special, the car is just in a really good window and I’m driving well too.”
Her pace also provided encouragement for Rodin Motorsport, which enters the season finale holding a narrow 16-point advantage over VRD Racing in the Teams’ Championship.
Pulling cautious about translating practice pace into race results
Despite Friday’s encouraging performances, Pulling remains reluctant to draw conclusions about her prospects for qualifying and the final three races.
The British driver has previously demonstrated strong pace during testing without achieving comparable results throughout the race weekend. She therefore believes the team must remain focused on converting its improvements into competitive performances when the championship returns to action on Saturday.
Pulling highlighted several earlier rounds where impressive testing results had failed to translate into the outcomes she had hoped for.
“I topped the test session before Red Bull Ring quali, topped it before Silverstone and topped the Brands test, and then they were some of my worst race weekends,” she said. “I won’t read into [the pace] too much; I know the car is in a good place.”
Her comments reflect the challenges she has encountered throughout 2026 despite demonstrating the ability to compete at the front.
At Spa-Francorchamps, Pulling secured her maiden GB3 victory, becoming the first female driver to win a race in the championship. However, other weekends have proved more difficult, with setbacks preventing her from consistently converting her pace into results.
Friday’s performance consequently provides encouragement, although Pulling remains determined to approach qualifying without placing too much emphasis on her practice advantage.
Pulling hopes to conclude GB3 career on a high
The Barcelona finale also carries personal significance for Pulling, who expects the weekend to mark the end of her time competing in GB3 after two seasons with Rodin Motorsport.
The former F1 Academy champion joined the series in 2025 before returning for a second campaign in 2026. Her performances this season have included her historic pole position and victory at Spa, alongside further podium finishes as she continued developing her experience in the Tatuus MSV GB3-025.
Although Pulling remains pleased with the progress she has made, uncertainty surrounding her next racing programme has added an emotional dimension to the final weekend.
“I’m happy with the progress we’ve made for my final race [weekend] in GB3,” she said.
The 23-year-old hopes to enjoy her remaining time in the championship while demonstrating the competitiveness she believes she can offer. However, she acknowledged the frustration of delivering strong performances without knowing what her next step will involve.
“I just want to make the most of it and have fun, but it is a little bit sad that I don’t know what I am doing next year but am able to do laps like that. It shows that I’m not an idiot and I deserve to be here.”
Pulling targets strong conclusion to 2026 season
Pulling will now attempt to carry her Friday practice pace into Saturday’s qualifying sessions, which begin at 10:55 local time. Her latest performances suggest that Rodin has made progress with its Barcelona setup, although Bedrin retains the fastest lap of the weekend.
The British driver also has an opportunity to contribute to Rodin’s Teams’ Championship battle against VRD Racing, with only 16 points separating the two organisations ahead of the final three races.
After a campaign featuring both historic achievements and frustrating setbacks, Pulling hopes to conclude her two seasons in GB3 with another competitive performance. While her future racing plans remain uncertain, Friday’s results have provided an encouraging foundation for what she expects to be her final weekend in the championship.
