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Doriane Pin impresses Mercedes team with dominant F1 Academy debut

#83: Iron Dames, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2: Doriane Pin, Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting

Dorianne Pin is no stranger to wide-ranging racing success.

Pin started racing in GT cars and went on to win the Ferrari Challenge Europe in 2022, and then finished second in Formula 4 Southeast Asia last year after transitioning to open wheels. She’s already competed at the highest levels of motorsports, including a sixth in class this year at the 24 Hours of Daytona driving for the all-female Iron Dames team.

But now the 20-year-old French driver, who joined the Mercedes-AMG junior program this year, is getting all the attention in F1 Academy.

Formula One’s all-female development series, the same concept as the now-bankrupt W Series but with direct support from F1 and its teams, is designed to give female drivers a chance to develop their skills and prove their talent in spec cars.

Despite having some of the least experience in open-wheeled formula cars of any driver on the grid, Doriane Pin swept the weekend in the first race of the F1 Academy season, taking pole award for both races of the weekend in Saudi Arabia before leading every lap of the first contest.

Her qualifying laps were most impressive of all, as she led the first session by eight tenths and the second by six tenths, a big margin in spec equipment that put her talent on full display.

“It’s amazing, amazing start to the season,” Pin told Sky Sports after the race. “I’m really happy about how we prepared this season with the team… we are working really well together.”

Abbi Pulling, an Alpine development driver, chased Pin for all twelve laps around the high-speed Jeddah street circuit and set the fastest lap in the process. It wasn’t enough to get around the polesitter as Pulling ended up second, but it did stop Pin from getting every single point on offer at the start of the championship battle.

Ferrari’s Maya Weug rounded out the podium.

It was far from a straightforward race, with the safety car coming out after a few laps, stacking the field up for a restart.

After a dominant start to the season, Pin has a second race to contend on Jeddah circuit on Saturday. Whatever the result, Pin has the attention of the motorsports world.

She was able to enjoy spending time in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team pitbox with driver Lewis Hamilton and team principal Toto Wolff. F1 Academy is designed to finally get a female driver into the world’s biggest motorsport. The young French driver might now be the hottest prospect for that seat.

The series will travel to seven tracks in total throughout the season, accompanying Formula One’s biggest stars. American viewers can watch on ESPN throughout the season.

#83: Iron Dames, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2: Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey, Doriane Pin, Michelle Gatting

Owen Johnson
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