Place for women in motor sports: F1 Academy boss

When she was in secondary school, much of Abbi Pulling's spare time was spent working on PowerPoint slides for potential sponsors in order to keep her racing dreams alive.

- Kimberly Kwek

The British driver taught herself graphic design and sent countless e-mails, and while her efforts were often futile - she would get about one reply for every 150 to 200 e-mails - she was determined to keep going.

She knows well the heartbreak of having a racing campaign end prematurely due to funding issues, but things are looking up these days for Pulling. The 21-year-old is currently top of the F1 Academy drivers' standings with six wins this season.

She said: "I had to do it and kind of outreach to these companies because I knew if I wasn't making the most out of my time, I would potentially have to stop because of the financial restraints.

"I've come close to it a few times, but I count my lucky stars every day that I've managed to keep going."

Pulling and 15 other female drivers are competing at the Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix this weekend, when the F1 Academy makes its debut as one of the support races at the Marina Bay circuit.