Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Powell (right) and Pulling are the first all-female F1 commentator and co-commentator team for the BBC
ByAndrew BensonF1 Correspondent- Published53 minutes ago
Alice Powell and Abbi Pulling will become the first all-female Formula 1 commentator and co-commentator line-up for BBC Sport at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix this weekend.
Powell, 33, steps up in place of regular lead commentator Harry Benjamin, who is working for Sky F1 in Barcelona.
Pulling - the 2024 F1 Academy champion, who is racing in the GB3 category this year - reprises the role of co-commentator and analyst she has performed a number of times previously.
Powell, who has raced across multiple categories in a 20-year career, said: "I'm really excited to lead my first F1 commentary, alongside Abbi.
"As well as dreaming of becoming a racing driver when I was a kid, I also wanted to become a commentator.
"Who would have thought that six-year-old Alice, who would pretend to be Murray Walker commentating on my own little race on my bike in the garden, would be having the chance to lead a BBC commentary many years later?
"A big thank you also to IMG and the BBC for this opportunity."
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Pulling, who took her maiden GB3 victory from pole position at Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps circuit last month, said: "It's incredible to be doing Barcelona comms with BBC 5 live, especially as it's an all-female line-up with Alice and me.
"The important thing as well is that it's not just to tick a box. It is down to our experiences and involvement with the sport that we're in these positions, which continues to show how much sport is evolving.
"It's becoming more widely accepted not to just have women within the sport in these roles, but also to have the knowledge and be trusted by the listeners."
Pulling, 23, won the all-female F1 Academy championship in 2024 before moving up to GB3, a single-seater category just below FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2, the final two steps before F1.
She is also the rookie and simulator driver for the Nissan team in the all-electric Formula E world championship.
The BBC brings fans every moment of the Formula 1 season, with live commentary from every race weekend on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
The visualised BBC Radio 5 Live Chequered Flag and Chequered Flag Extra podcasts are available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport YouTube channel. The Chequered Flag podcast delivers expert insight and reaction from some of the biggest names in F1, while the Chequered Flag Extra podcast puts fans firmly in the driving seat with lively debates, race rankings and perspectives from dedicated superfans.
For even more coverage, the BBC Sport website and app provides live text commentary, breaking news and expert analysis from every grand prix throughout the season.
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