2025 F1 Academy champion Doriane Pin views her recent Formula 1 test with Mercedes as a stepping stone toward more opportunities in the championship, stressing that earning a place in F1 has shifted from a dream to a genuine objective.
The French driver entered the Mercedes Junior Team in 2024 when she joined the all-female racing series. After securing the F1 Academy title in 2025, she was promoted to development driver at the Brackley squad. In April 2026, Pin took the wheel of the Mercedes W12 from the 2021 F1 season.
When asked about her next ambition during the Mercedes Nu Silver Arrows Show, Pin said: “Driving again in Formula 1. I hope I will have the opportunity. I think we did a pretty good job today. I hope it will open some doors and some opportunities for the future, but what is next is Le Castellet in three weeks for ELMS [European Le Mans Series].”
“And with F1, I hope this chapter is only the beginning and I will have more chances to drive a Formula 1 car and to continue my progression step-by-step, and hopefully be in FP1 at one point.”
Reflecting on her F1 aspirations, the 22-year-old added: “From when I was nine until a few years ago, it was a dream—Formula 1. And now it’s a goal. It’s a bit different. Now I have proved to myself that I can be fast in an F1 car. I don’t know what to say to my nine-year-old self, but I think it’s important to follow what is inside your heart and your gut.”
Pin’s test with Mercedes made history: she became the first F1 Academy champion to drive an F1 car and the first woman to test a Mercedes F1 machine.