Abbi Pulling is back on the 2026 GB3 grid with Rodin Motorsport, and she is determined to make this season count. The 2024 F1 Academy Champion, who claimed nine victories and stood on the podium in all 14 races of her title-winning campaign, endured a difficult debut GB3 season in 2025. She finished 10th in the Drivers’ Standings and took just one podium. Pulling has made her intentions clear ahead of the season opener in Silverstone.
Pulling reflects on a tough debut GB3 season
In 2026, Pulling’s GB3 preparations have been built on an honest assessment of where last year fell short. She took her only podium via the reverse grid Race 3 at Brands Hatch. It made history as the championship’s first female podium finish, but one she is not willing to lean on.
“You say flashes of success, I don’t necessarily see last year like that,” Pulling admitted in an exclusive interview with F1 Academy. “Even though I got a podium, there’s no hiding it was a reverse grid podium. I’m not here to get the participation trophies. I’m here to try and get the main things.”
Despite the difficulties, Pulling enters 2026 with a reset mindset and gratitude towards those who helped her return to the grid.
“Although there were good bits, I’m very aware that I could have done better. I’ve gone into this year fully reset, it’s really great working with the team again at Rodin Motorsport. It’s been a bit of a graft, to say the least, to secure this position on the grid, so a huge thank you to all of my partners that have made it possible.”
Securing her seat was only part of the challenge. Pulling also had to work through a run of difficult moments that tested her mentally throughout 2025.
“I would have loved last year to have been a breeze, but it wasn’t. The hard moments are where you learn from. It just felt like one hard moment after another last year, I felt like I couldn’t get a break.”
That experience has shaped how she approaches the new season. Rather than carrying frustration into 2026, Pulling has focused on breaking the negative cycle.
“It’s trying to break that cycle and that actually I can get a break, I can do this and not all is bad. I’m very lucky to be doing what I’m doing and sometimes I think I got a bit frustrated for prolonged periods of time,” she stated.
Encouraged by pre-season testing
The upgraded Tatuus MSV GB3-025 has given Pulling fresh cause for optimism. The car features an aerodynamic overhaul and a new engine that produces a 25% increase in torque. The fastest pre-season lap came in more than 2.4 seconds quicker than last year’s benchmark. Pulling placed inside the top five across all four pre-season tests.
“It’s a lot faster than last year. We can really commit to corners, as well as the fact that we’re traveling at a greater speed because of the engine. The faster you go, the more downforce you create.”
The step forward in performance has been significant. Pulling said: “It’s an absolute dream to drive. It’s a beast, you can just commit to everything.”
“Last year, I thought it had a lot of downforce, but this year it feels three or four times more. It’s a little bit of a different driving style with a few really small things that add up throughout a lap, but I felt right at home straight away.”
That comfort has translated directly onto the timesheets. Pulling heads into the opening round at Silverstone in strong form and feeling like a different driver to the one who struggled through 2025.
“We’re always there in the ballpark and that’s what you need when fighting for Championships. I do feel like a different person going into this year. I feel like there’s a bit of a weight off my shoulders and I’m driving more freer and happier,” she stated.
Sets sights on the 2026 GB3 title
Pulling is not setting modest targets. Her Rodin Motorsport teammate Alex Ninovic won the 2025 title with three races to spare, giving her a close up view of what a GB3 championship campaign looks like.
When asked where she expects to fight this season, Pulling was direct, saying: “Expectations I have no clue. Ambition-wise, I want to be fighting at the front. I want to be fighting for trophies and not just in the reverse grids.”
“Even though it brings positive media for me, it annoys me a little bit because I know it’s not the race I want to be getting trophies in.”
Her pre-season form backs up that ambition. Pulling believes the work she has put in with Rodin Motorsport has her ready to challenge at the sharp end from the very first round.
“From what we’ve done in testing so far, it looks like I can be properly in the running to try and battle for the title. The ambition is to be fighting for the top three at least. With my experience and how comfortable and confident I’m feeling at the moment, I don’t see why it wouldn’t be possible. It’s just going to take quite a lot of discipline from myself,” she stated.
Ready to race on home soil at Silverstone opener
Silverstone is a circuit that suits Pulling’s 2026 GB3 ambitions well. She qualified fourth and sixth on debut there last year despite setbacks in Qualifying. She has put in additional simulator work with Rodin Motorsport to make sure she arrives fully prepared.
“Silverstone suits my driving style a lot. I feel quite comfortable there. I’ve done some additional work on the simulator with Rodin, making sure that some of the little areas that I need to work on I’ve got in my bank,” she stated.
Racing in front of a home crowd is also something Pulling did not experience during her time in F1 Academy. She is keen to embrace it.
“Racing at home, it’s something that I never got in F1 Academy, so it’s nice to revisit the British tracks. I’m feeling good, I just need to keep in this and not think about it too much. It’s when I have time off and I’m thinking, that’s normally when it goes wrong.”
Pulling addresses expectations
As an F1 Academy Champion stepping into her second GB3 season, the expectation around Abbi Pulling’s 2026 GB3 campaign has not disappeared. If anything, it has grown. Yet she says she feels more free than she did a year ago.
“There was a lot of expectation on last year. Although this is my second year, so technically there should be more expectation, I feel less pressure and freer in my mindset. There are a lot of eyes on you when you’re the F1 Academy Champion.”
The scrutiny that comes with her profile means mistakes attract immediate criticism. Pulling knows that reality well. “Not all people have positive opinions, people just expect you to go into things and absolutely nail it. Then as soon as you don’t nail it, people are very quick to say you are overrated or so on,” she stated.
Working through that noise has led to a significant admission. Pulling now recognizes that imposter syndrome played a role in her 2025 struggles, something she was not ready to say at the time.
“It’s making sure I know my value and reminding myself that I deserve to be here. It’s imposter syndrome to an extent. I had it a bit last year, which I’ve never said before. I probably even during last year said ‘no, I didn’t have it’, but over the winter I’ve realised I probably had a bit of imposter syndrome last year.”
Targets killer mentality in 2026
Her response to that realization is a more assertive approach. Pulling’s GB3 2026 mindset centres on backing herself and trusting what she knows she can do.
“My goal of the year is to be more arrogant. I know what I can do and I know what I’m feeling in the car when things are right and when things are not. It’s making sure that I have that killer mentality.”
“People forget that there’s a human behind the helmet. I’m just doing my best and trying to use the cards I’ve been dealt to show that we can compete at the front. I’m not going to win every race I compete in — no one does.”
That self-awareness extends to how she measures success. Pulling is not chasing perfection, but rather is chasing her best.
“But if I can be as close as I can to the front and get the most out of myself every single time, then I’ll be satisfied. Last year, I think I missed the mark a little bit. Some things in my control, quite a few things out of my control and I just let it get to me.”
“I’m someone that’s my own biggest critic and can very quickly get quite frustrated at myself. I have good days and bad days of managing it. It’s a tool that I’m still working on that’s in my belt,” she stated.
Pulling on the grind to secure her GB3 2026 seat
Pulling’s place on the GB3 2026 grid did not come easily. She worked hard throughout the off-season to make it happen, and she does not take the opportunity for granted.
Reflecting on her efforts to race this season, Pulling stated: “It’s a testament to how hard I’ve worked during the off-season. It’s been a bit of a grind to make sure that I can sign on the dotted line and that I’m racing this year. I just want to show at heart that I’m a racing driver and not here to make up the numbers.”
Targeting F3 promotion
Pulling’s GB3 2026 season carries significance beyond the standings. No female driver currently competes in FIA Formula 3, F2 or F1. Juju Noda races at a higher level in the 2026 Super Formula Championship, and she stands as the only woman to do so.
Only Sophia Flörsch has previously raced and scored points in F3. Pulling understands the weight of that and the responsibility she carries.
“Whatever’s behind the helmet doesn’t matter, we can compete. I want to create a legacy and be remembered as the person that made it normal that there’s a female competing at the front in a mixed category — I shouldn’t be the exception.”
“It’s quite scary to think that this could be my last year in single-seaters. After that, there’s no female in FIA F3, F2 or F1. I want to be the one that normalises it, so people don’t say ‘she’s doing good for a girl’, she’s just a racing driver. That’s the key thing for me.”
The lack of female representation above F4 level is something Pulling finds both frustrating and motivating. “It’s crazy and sad to say the least,” she said of the lack of female drivers competing beyond the F4 level.
“In a couple of years’ time, it will change. There weren’t many girls at the age we are, but there’s a lot more 10 to 15 or 16-year-olds. That pool is growing, which means in a couple of years there’ll be more, but there’s a weird limbo in between.”
“At the end of the day, it’s driven on results. If I’m finishing at the back, I don’t expect to receive the support. Last year, I didn’t necessarily do enough to warrant going up the ladder. This year, I’m hellbent on making sure that I show that I’m capable of moving up to F3 and to get there on merit.”
Advice to the next generation of female racers
Pulling has benefitted from the opportunities F1 Academy created. She wants those who follow to approach those opportunities with the same work ethic she has applied throughout her career.
“There’s more opportunity now than ever for females in motorsport. It’s about making sure it doesn’t become so accessible that people take it for granted because I think that can happen very easily when you’re handed fully-funded seats at F4-level.”
Pulling worries complacency could undermine the progress the sport has made in recent years.
“It isn’t a normal thing and people need to remember it is a privilege to get something like F1 Academy come along and keep people’s careers going or to excel someone’s career (…) Making sure people don’t get complacent, that’s probably one of my biggest fears.”
“Things don’t just happen, you have to make it happen. I think younger generations just expect things to happen and get given to them. You’ve got to remember you’ve got to work for it. Even when you think you’re doing the most or doing enough, there’s someone out there working harder so keep pushing yourself.”
“I’m super lucky to have had that continued support” — Pulling on fan support
A significant part of what made Pulling’s 2026 GB3 seat possible was the support she received directly from her fanbase. She acknowledges that openly.
“A lot of why I’m on the grid is down to the fans,” Pulling noted. “I’ve released my merch, mini helmets and released a package where you can pay a bit extra and be on my race car. On my front wing, there are tonnes of names of people who have bought into this”
“I’m super lucky to have had that continued support and people that tune into every race weekend or on my socials and just keep an eye on what I’m up to. It’s so nice to have such a positive community because social media can be a scary place,” she stated.
That community has helped her stay grounded, even when results did not go her way. “I try not to fill the world with anything negative. Although people could be critical of what I do, of my results or on-track stuff, regardless of that I just try and be positive.”
“There was a point last year I thought it’s looking like the journey’s over,” she remarked. “But then after a lot of work, this is another shot at it. I feel like I’ve got to run with it, leave everything on the table and leave no regrets. If it’s the last, it’s the last.”
Determined to be the woman who makes F3 history
With everything on the line, Pulling’s GB3 2026 season represents more than a second chance. It represents a shot at history.
“I’d like to think I’d still manage to compete in single-seaters, but I think we need that representation in F3. Not just someone that competes in F3, but someone that gets points and can by the end of the year be at the front or even potentially getting podiums and top-fives.”
Pulling knows what she needs to do to make that argument impossible to ignore.
“I think I can be that woman. It’s just convincing everyone else that matters and is pivotal to my career that that’s the case. If I have a successful year, I don’t see why people would overlook me.”
“With a lot more younger talent coming in, I do feel like it’s quite easy to overlook me and put your eggs in a different basket. I hope I can just let my results speak for themselves,” she concluded.
