ABBI PULLING Wishes She Were Eight Again As F1 Academy Drivers Get Younger

April 25, 2026

• ABBI PULLING, 2024 F1 Academy champion at 21, notes the series’ average age has plummeted from 20.6 years in 2023 to 18.8 in 2026, giving younger drivers crucial early experience.
• JOANNE CICONTE competed at 16 in 2025, while LISA BILLARD races at the same age this season, part of a trend seeing drivers start as young as 14-15 years old.
• PULLING gained early exposure racing W Series at 18-19, but believes today’s teenagers are “a step ahead” with F1 Academy providing development opportunities in the male-dominated sport.
• Now 23, PULLING serves as Nissan Formula E Team’s rookie and simulator driver while competing in GB3 Championship, praising the manufacturer’s training approach for developing Formula E experience.

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