Pulling fastest in historic all-female Formula E test

Britain's Abbi Pulling made history by finishing fastest in the first all-female Formula E testing session.

The 21-year-old, driving for Nissan, was quickest of 18 of the world's top female drivers in Spain.

"It was extremely physically demanding - I wasn’t quite expecting that," said Pulling, who currently leads the F1 Academy standings.

"I work hard in the gym, but the new tyres made it a real challenge. I couldn’t quite get the maximum I wanted out of the car."

All 11 teams in the electric racing series fielded at least one driver at Circuito de Jarama near Madrid as part of its long-term strategy “to remove barriers and expand opportunities for women" in motorsport.

Originally scheduled to take place in Valencia, the usual home of Formula E pre-season testing, the event was moved to the Spanish capital after devastating floods in the Valencia region led to the deaths of more than 200 people.

The women, who hail from different forms of motorsport, took to the track during a three-hour session on Friday in the latest Gen3 Evo car, set to be used in the upcoming 2025 season.

It is capable of doing 0-60mph in 1.82 seconds, 30% faster than a Formula 1 car.

Pulling recorded one minute 30.88 seconds, 3.4 seconds off Formula E's Mitch Evans who claimed the fastest lap in Thursday's men's test on the same track for Jaguar TCS racing.

"It’s not too bad considering the limited run we had," Pulling said. "But I wanted to be closer."

Seven-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick was second, with McLaren's Bianca Bustamante third fastest.

There are currently no female drivers in a Formula E race seat.

Only three women have ever competed in a Formula E race, all in the inaugural 2014 season, including British sportscar and IndyCar driver Katherine Legge, Swiss Simona de Silvestro and Italian Michela Cerruti.

The last woman to race in Formula 1 was Italy's Lella Lombardi in 1976.

Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E, said motorsport has failed to provide enough development opportunities for women.

He took over 18 months ago and wants to change that, with the all-female test being the "first step" of a longer-term plan to bring women back to the Formula E starting grid.

"I will be very disappointed if some of the women here at the test don't go on to take a seat in Formula E," he said, though he added that was more likely as a development or test driver in the immediate future.

"They will need to prove to the teams that they deserve a seat in the car, because every team is here to win.

"But I think it's an 'and' not an 'or'. I think you can win a championship and provide sporting equity and more opportunity for women. I don't think you have to choose between the two."

In the long term Formula E says it is committed to providing more opportunities on track and in the simulator for women.

It is also launching a new research project with More Than Equal, an organisation created by ex-F1 driver David Coulthard which is working to support and develop female talent.

"If I were a betting man, I would place a bet on us having a woman world champion before Formula 1," Dodds added.