Abbi Pulling prepares for the second round of the GB3 Championship

Abbi Pulling is aiming to keep her momentum going as she heads into the second round of the GB3 Championship this weekend.

The Gosberton driver is competing in the competition for the first time after winning the F1 Academy crown last year.

She secured fifth and sixth place finishes in her first outing at Silverstone in the opening races of the season.

The former Bourne Academy pupil now heads to Zandvoort in the Netherlands this weekend for the second round of the series.

Pulling said: "Overall, the first race weekend was one to be proud of.

"I was really happy with the amazing pace in the qualifying races even after technical issues.

"To then carry this forward into the racing, showing strong pace with fifth and sixth finishes, was extremely satisfying.

"I am looking ahead to Zandvoort and aiming to keep this momentum going."

Pulling is driving for Rodin Motorsport in the championship and has spent her pre-season preparing and acclimatising to the brand new Tatuus GB3-025 car.

In the first weekend at Silverstone, Pulling immediately hit the ground running, securing a fantastic fourth in the first qualifying session of the season.

After a short interval, Pulling headed out for second qualifying and set the sixth fastest lap time – despite a drag reduction system (DRS) malfunction.

It ensured she started the first race from fourth on the grid.

She made a good start from the outside of the second row, getting a great run through the exit of Copse corner and challenging her team-mate Gianmarco Pradel for the podium positions.

Ultimately, she ended up having to back out, which allowed her team-mate Alex Ninovic through as Pulling latched onto the leading pack in fifth place.

Over the course of the 25-minute race, Pulling managed her tyres well – coming back at her team-mate Ninovic in the closing stages of the race.

She crossed the line in a fantastic fifth on her GB3 debut to mark a superb start to the season.

Pulling started the second race from sixth and made another strong getaway.

However, ultimately, she would be boxed in with nowhere to go despite her good start and found herself in seventh.

Setting her targets about reclaiming her lost position, the 22-year-old pulled in the gap ahead.

As Pulling latched onto the back of sixth place, a questionable defensive move by her rival prevented her from completing the pass.

She kept the pressure up for the remainder of the race, always looming in DRS range – before a late race incident saw it finish under the safety car.

Pulling was promoted to sixth at the chequered flag though, following a penalty for her rival, meaning she secured back-to-back top six finishes.

It was a fifth place start for Pulling in the final race of the weekend where she held her position throughout the opening corners.

As the pack reached the famous 'Silverstone Wing', Pulling resisted an attack from her rival and held fifth spot around the outside of 'Club' corner to retain her position.

However, as they entered the 'Hamilton Straight' her rear right wheel was tagged – spearing her into the wall, taking her out of the race from a strong fifth position.

It was a big hit into the wall but luckily Pulling was alright – getting safely out of the car despite being pretty winded and frustrated.

Despite the final race disappointment, it was a very positive first weekend in the GB3 Championship for Pulling who had hit the ground running strongly.

She left Silverstone finishing inside the top six in every session she completed, creating a strong baseline to build on for the season ahead.