When the third season of the W Series kicks off in Miami on Saturday, much of the attention will be on last season's champion Jamie Chadwick.
But gunning for her crown will be a hotshot young driver about to embark on her first full season in the series. Having started last year's campaign as a reserve driver, Abbi Pulling featured in four rounds, bagging a pole position and podium.
The 19-year-old's results in those four races were enough to secure her an automatic spot in this year's championship, as well as an academy contract with Formula One team Alpine. And with the support of the French squad, Pulling is hoping to wrestle the title from Chadwick's hands.
"I definitely want to, I don't want to say dethrone, but try to put that challenge up to the ones at the top like Alice and Jamie. I think I can do it, especially with what's going for me at the moment, with Alpine and the support they're giving me, I think it's definitely doable," Pulling exclusively told Mirror Sport.
"I'll definitely be asking a few questions to the team before Miami if they've got any information about the circuit because I don't think many of us know much. The F1 teams have probably got the most amount of information so I'm going to utilise that as much as I can.
"Not just for Miami but throughout the season so I'm really looking forward to it. It's not necessarily taking it into the season. But more so for the future, past W Series when there's more to think about. So they're really helping me to develop for this year and for years to come."
HAVE YOUR SAY! Who do you think will win the Formula One world championship this season? Comment below.
A title challenge from Pulling would certainly please W Series CEO Catherine Bond Muir, who is anxious to see another tight championship fight. Chadwick was just a point ahead of challenger Alice Powell going into the final weekend of last season, a situation Bond Muir is desperate to see replicated.
"I'm a massive sports fan and the reason I like sport is because I love the competition. What I want for this year, with the drivers and I would say this because I'm like a proud mother, but they're phenomenal drivers," Bond Muir exclusively told Mirror Sport.
"They were very kind to me last year because we went into the last weekend with two of the top drivers on equal points. If they were so kind enough as to do that again this year, it would be nice to have three drivers equal on points.
"Three people being on the same points going into Mexico City is all I really want. It is about sport, sport, sport. Globally, women's sport is growing, but it can't be seen as being worthy or something I've got to watch because of equality. I want W Series to be a go-to sport because it's one of the most exciting sports that exists."
Pulling is already well on the road to becoming the first female F1 driver since 1976. She got her first experience of driving an F1 car during a filming day in Saudi Arabia in March, the first woman to do so in the Middle East country, and is keen to back that up with a full-time spot in the top tier of motor racing.
"It was always planned in the academy for me to drive an F1 car at one point. They were really eager to get me into something. It was the 2012 car, V8 era, it was Kimi Raikkonen's chassis actually," Pulling said.
"I'm really proud to have been part of the campaign that I was involved in. It was such a special experience and just being there on the day. I even said to someone in Alpine's marketing department 'I'm just so proud to be a part of this' and the message we were putting forward.
"Anyone that's in single seaters will say that their aim is to get into Formula One. I think that with some of the W Series drivers being older, they'll probably say now that they're not aiming for F1.
"But for me as a 19-year-old driver I definitely want to make that step in that direction. Obviously I wouldn't go straight into F1 from now. But going from W Series to F3 and F2. Take it step by step and I hope to think that I can do it and I'm just really excited to see what comes in the future."
The W Series season begins in Miami on Saturday, with Race One starting at 7.30pm GMT
