QUALIFYING: Pulling fends off Weug and Pin to snatch both Singapore pole positions

Abbi Pulling overcame a three-way fight with Maya Weug and Doriane Pin to seize both pole positions on offer around the Singaporean streets.

The trio traded personal bests throughout the session, but it was the Alpine driver who emerged triumphant, posting an unbeatable 2:03.631 with five minutes left on the clock.

As the sun set and the floodlights switched on, the drivers immediately lit up the track. Nerea Martí opened Qualifying on a 2:06.806, but the Tommy Hilfiger driver’s initial exploration was swiftly beaten by Pulling.

The Briton’s pace continued to build, as her second flying lap of a 2:04.662 launched her almost five tenths clear. Weug and Pin each demoted her in turn, before Pulling responded with a 2:04.335 to go top by 0.040s.

Weug went even faster onto a 2:04.179, which was swiftly beaten by Pin by over two tenths. Pulling sat third, four tenths off the Mercedes driver’s pace, whilst Hamda Al Qubaisi moved into fourth.

As the Campos Racing and ART trio led the field peeling into the pits, there was a nervous moment for Amna Al Qubaisi as the RB driver span over the run-off in Sector 1.

Finding more grip on their second set of tyres, personal bests flooded in inside the final five minutes. Pulling re-emerged out in front, posting a 2:03.631, whilst Weug became her nearest competitor, with the Ferrari driver sitting over two tenths off the top spot.

Pulling couldn’t improve on her final attempt, but nobody could answer her previous attempt as Weug and Pin had to settle for second and third, 0.238s and 0.265s back, respectively.

A storming last-gasp effort for Lia Block promoted her to fourth, her best Qualifying result of the season so far. Hamda Al Qubaisi will line up fifth for Race 1 followed by Chloe Chambers and Martí.

Overcoming limited running in Practice, Wild Card Ella Lloyd put together an impressive Qualifying, lining up eighth for her first F1 ACADEMY race ahead of Bianca Bustamante and Carrie Schreiner.

For Race 2, Pulling will have Pin for company on the front row. Weug will line up third ahead of Block, Martí and Hamda Al Qubaisi. Schreiner will start from seventh ahead of Lloyd, Chambers and Bustamante.

Pulling will have her sixth victory in her sights when the lights go out for Race 1 at 15:05 local time on Saturday.