Alpine suggest F1 plan for Sophia Floersch and Abbi Pulling

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has revealed how academy drivers Sophia Floersch and Abbi Pulling could gain F1 experience this year.

Pulling extended her relationship with a full academy position with Alpine for the current season after previously being listed as an 'affiliate driver' while Floersch joined the programme as she returned to F3.

Given F1's focus on uncovering a female talent that could compete in the championship, Szafnauer has already faced questions on if and when the two women will be granted a chance to sample top-tier machinery.

Speaking to Top Gear, he said: “The hope is that, yes, the ladies, the young girls that we’re supporting one day will get into a Formula 1 car and become F1 drivers. That is the hope.

“Will we give them a test? We do have a demo team which runs a two-year-old car, and we’ve put that to good use."

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Demos a gauge of ability

Pulling was able to take advantage of this last year when she drove the 2012 Lotus E20 - a car from the Enstone-based team's history - in Saudi Arabia.

"We’ve run some of the current Formula 1 drivers in the demo car alongside our drivers, so it’s a good way to be able to compare driver ability," added Szafnauer.

“So I wouldn’t be surprised in the future - although we don’t have a plan yet - that we do that.”

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