Written by Sophie Harvey, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Women have played an influential role throughout the history of motor racing. Many have taken to the wheels of motorsport machines, while numerous figures have worked tirelessly on the sidelines in various roles, shaping the motor racing world to the present day. Woman Spotlight Wednesday aims to take a look at the tales of these superwomen, who have surpassed various hurdles to reach where they are today.
A recent addition to F1 Academy’s 2024 grid, it’s unsurprising that this week’s article highlights the Mercedes Junior Programme’s latest recruit. From endurance racing to single-seaters, Doriane Pin is taking the world by storm, ruling one series at a time to achieve her ultimate goal — reaching Formula 1.
Born in 2004, Pin’s love for racing began like any other driver’s, competing to reach the pinnacle of motorsport. Three years of national-level karting and a championship later, she stepped up to the Clio Cup Junior championship for her car racing debut.
Pin’s rise to fame began as a finalist at the ‘Girls on Track – Rising Stars’ initiative, organised by the FIA’s Women in Motorsport Commission, to find the next member of the Ferrari Driver Academy. Although she narrowly missed out to future teammate Maya Weug, Pin’s efforts didn't go unnoticed. Deborah Mayer invited the Parisian to join her Iron Dames project, offering her a season in the 2021 Michelin Le Mans Cup, driving GT3 machinery.
To say she excelled would be an understatement. Aged just 17 then, Pin drove to an incredible fifth in the driver’s championship, with five podiums to her team’s name — remembering that less than 12 months prior, the teenager was still driving in the humble Clio Cup.
Now appropriately nicknamed ‘Pocket Rocket’, Pin’s 2022 campaign was headlined by the Ferrari Challenge Europe – a series that races Ferrari 388 Challenge Evo’s around iconic venues from Spa-Francorchamps to Misano, and even Le Mans.
Staying with Iron Dames’ and decked in that iconic fuschia suit, Pin did nothing but dominate during her first full season in the championship. Winning nine out of 14 races, securing 10 poles and 11 fastest laps, she wrapped up the championship a round early, to become the second woman ever to win the Europe Trofeo Pirelli Championship.
The first? Iron Dames’ very own Michelle Gatting. The team in pink had successfully clinched the title two years in a row, whilst Pin was only 18.
2022 also saw Pin enter the European Le Man Series (ELMS) to replace Rahel Frey. Most notably, the squad made history on the final, and arguably one of the most challenging circuits of the ELMS calendar, Portimão.
Doriane Pin, Michelle Gatting and Sarah Bovy made incredible progress over the weekend, and remarkably, became ELMS’ maiden female race-winners — a fairytale ending to an already impressive year.
Pin’s incredible performance in both categories led to her receiving the Volant d’Or Award, offered by the French Motorsport Association. Upon collecting her trophy, Pin had expressed her thanks to Iron dames: “The project has helped me get to where I am today and I can’t thank them enough. They’ve helped me gain such valuable experience so early in my career.”
In 2023, Pin’s success only grew. Her next challenge came in the form of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) — the most prestigious endurance racing championship in the motorsport world. Home to former Formula 1 champions, Formula E stars and even MotoGP riders, taking to WEC is no easy feat.
Pin’s prototype debut was in partnership with PREMA Racing, taking to their LMP2 car with GT champion Mirko Bortolotti and former F1 driver Daniil Kyvat.
Her stellar debut in PREMA’s #63 Oreca saw the trio score a second-place podium on their first outing, the ‘1000 Miles of Sebring’. Not only was this incredible, but it also made Pin the first woman to stand on a FIA WEC LMP2 podium.
She didn’t stop breaking records there, in Portimão she became the first woman in LMP2 history to start from pole — remembering that prior to this season, the only experience she had in prototypes was a pre-season rookie test in Bahrain, driving a JOTA.
Her incredible season even saw her crowned the ‘2023 FIA WEC Revelation of the Year’.
Alongside her WEC pursuit, Pin even drove a Lamborghini Huracan in the IMSA Sportscar Championship, as part of the Iron Dames family.
Pin has stated the transition into single-seaters was a ‘clear objective’ for her career, no doubt influencing her decision to join PREMA for a handful of rounds in the F4 South East Asia Championship.
To say she took to the car naturally would once again be an understatement. Pin never fell out of the points-paying positions, and stood on the podium for four out of the six races she contested — the final of which was her first single-seater win.
After only two rounds and the aforementioned six races, the French rookie finished the championship in second place — missing out to the Australian Jack Beeton, who’d entered every race and participated in the season prior.
As of now, Pin has commenced her winter campaign in F4 UAE. Known to be particularly competitive, the series has produced champions such as junior talents Charlie Wurz and James Wharton. She currently sits eighth in the driver standings after some mighty drives — with nine races still to go, and there is everything still to play for.
Over the coming year, the Parisian will partner Iron Dames once again, taking the wheel of a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2 to contest in another season of WEC. Pin has previously announced her decision to join the F1 Academy grid next season, in partnership with the Mercedes Junior Programme.
With the potential to win the title, this is an incredibly exciting opportunity for Pin to showcase her prior experience and secure a fully-funded FRECA season next year. Excited for what’s ahead, Pin stated:
“I am incredibly happy to join the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Junior Programme and represent Mercedes in the PREMA Team for F1 Academy this year. A new chapter begins, and I am proud to make this next step in such a prestigious team and with the Iron Dames project. I am grateful for their trust and honoured to race for their colours.”
Pin was chosen for this campaign by none other than Toto Wolff, CEO and Team Principal of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team: "Doriane is an exciting talent and we're pleased to begin our participation in F1 Academy with her as our chosen driver. We have kept a close eye on her development in recent years as she has consistently impressed.”
As arguably one of the most impressive female talents in motorsport, we wish Doriane Pin the best of luck in F1 Academy, WEC and the remaining rounds of F4 UAE. There is no doubt that this ‘Pocket Rocket’ is a woman to watch out for in the coming years, inspiring girls both now and in the future.