RACE 1: Pulling supreme in Zandvoort as she seals fifth win of 2024

Abbi Pulling secured her fifth win out of seven with a dominant drive from pole in Zandvoort, the Alpine driver holding firm off the line – and she never looked back.

Doriane Pin took the chequered flag in second, but was demoted to fifth due to a five-second penalty for a false start, promoting Nerea Martí up one place and Maya Weug onto the podium at her home weekend.

Sunday's racing got off to an early start, with Race 1 having been rescheduled and reduced to 13 laps. Pulling wasn't caught napping at lights out, getting the perfect launch to hold a comfortable lead into Turn 1, as she opened up an eight tenths gap by the end of the opening lap.

Pin was immediately under pressure, as she and Martí went side-by-side down into Turn 1. The Mercedes driver defended the inside line and managed to hold on to second, leaving the #30 Tommy Hilfiger car to fend off Weug behind.

Further back, Lia Block had her eyes on her wing mirrors, as Hamda Al Qubaisi clawed in on the Williams driver in the battle for eighth.

Leader Pulling continued to put plenty of clean air between her and Pin behind, extending the gap by nine tenths on Lap 3 alone before opening up a three-second lead two laps later.

Pin's race changed in an instant, after the French racer and Amna Al Qubaisi were each given a five-second penalty for a false start. Needing to pull clear of Martí, who was almost two seconds back, Pin picked up the pace.

The fight between Block and Hamda Al Qubaisi showed no signs of abating, with the Red Bull Racing driver on her tail. It all came down to the final lap, as Hamda Al Qubaisi squeezed up against the wall along the main straight. Taking full advantage, she managed to steal the inside line away from the American driver and snatch eighth.

Further up the road, nobody could touch Pulling as she took the chequered flag almost four seconds clear. Unfortunately for Pin, her efforts to neutralise the penalty were not enough, finishing only 1.7 seconds ahead.

As a result, Martí moved up to second and Weug achieved her weekend's goal of a podium at her home race.

Nina Gademan made history as the first Wild Card driver to score points, as she delivered a top-four finish. Pin was classified in fifth ahead of Chloe Chambers, Aurelia Nobels and Hamda Al Qubaisi. Block had to settle for ninth and Kick Sauber's Carrie Schreiner secured the final point on offer in P10.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The drivers are straight back to it, with the lights going out for Race 2 at 10:40 local time.