F1 Academy: Female-only motorsport series returns on Dutch Grand Prix weekend at Zandvoort

Formula 1 returns this weekend but F1 Academy is also back with the season resuming this weekend at Zandvoort, as part of the support programme for the Dutch Grand Prix.

Britain's Abbi Pulling sits at the top of the championship with a 66-point advantage over the rest of the field and is favourite to become the second F1 Academy champion.

The halfway point of this season will be marked after the first Zandvoort race live on Sky Sports F1 this Saturday after F1 qualifying, so what's happened so far and what's to come over the rest of 2024?

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How Pulling has romped away

It looked like Mercedes junior Doriane Pin was going to be the driver to beat when she took pole by over seven tenths for the season-opener in Jeddah back in March.

Pin dominated the first race of the season then appeared to also win the second race in Jeddah, only to be demoted for controversially not slowing down after the chequered flag.

The 20-year-old went at full pelt on what was the cool-down lap, with the red flag needed to stop her, so was given a drive-through penalty post-race which was turned into a 20-second time penalty, so dropped to ninth, with Pulling benefitting and promoted to first place.

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Since then, it's been all about Pulling as she had the perfect weekend in Miami with two poles and two wins to take a 34-point lead over Pin into Spain.

In Barcelona, Alpine junior Pulling won the first race and took second behind American Chloe Chambers as Pin could only manage a seventh and fifth.

It's given Pulling an advantage of 66 points over Pin and Chambers with eight races left.

What's to come?

The season resumes this weekend in Zandvoort, then the tricky streets of Singapore is next on September 20-22.

A long break follows before back-to-back weekends in Qatar (November 29 to December 1) and the finale in Abu Dhabi (December 6-8).

Every F1 Academy session in 2024 can be watched live on Sky Sports F1, so you can see practice, qualifying and both races from each event.

Can anyone stop Pulling?

Pulling has finished in the top two of every race this year, with four victories and two second places. If she continues that form, the 21-year-old will have the championship wrapped up before the Abu Dhabi finale in December.

If someone can make a comeback, it's likely to be Pin. The French driver looked at home in the Tatuus F4-T421 F1 Academy car on the opening weekend of the season in Jeddah, a track which really separates the great from the good.

Pin fractured her ribs due to an unspecified incident at the end of May, which forced her to miss the 24 Hours of Le Mans and a Formula Regional weekend, as part of her racing commitments outside of F1 Academy this year.

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It may explain why she struggled last time out in F1 Academy in Barcelona but if she can refind her Jeddah performances, there's a chance she can reel in Pulling.

This year has been a breakthrough season for Pulling after she also became the first woman to claim victory in a British Formula 4 race at Brands Hatch.

With a target on her back in F1 Academy, can Pulling withstand the pressure in the remainder of the season, starting at Zandvoort this weekend.

Sky Sports F1's live Dutch GP schedule

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Thursday August 22
12.30pm: Drivers' Press Conference

Friday August 23
9.05am: F1 Academy: Practice One
11am: Dutch GP Practice One (session starts 11.30am)
2.45pm: Dutch GP Practice Two (session starts 3pm)
4.25pm: F1 Academy: Practice Two
5.15pm: The F1 Show

Saturday August 24
9.10am: F1 Academy: Qualifying
10.15am: Dutch GP Practice Three (session starts 10.30am)
1pm: Dutch GP Qualifying build-up
2pm: DUTCH GP QUALIFYING
4pm: F1 Academy: Race One

Sunday August 25
9.40am: F1 Academy: Race Two
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Dutch GP build-up
2pm: The DUTCH GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Dutch GP reaction

Formula 1 returns after the summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership - No contract, cancel anytime.

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