"My dream is Formula 1," says Doriane Pin after triumphant 2025 F1 Academy season

Doriane Pin has reiterated that her long-term ambition is still a seat on the Formula 1 grid ahead of this year's Autosport Awards.

Fresh off her 2025 F1 Academy championship win, Pin seems to be jumping from strength to strength as she has not only fought successfully in single-seaters but also gained plentiful experience in endurance racing with the Iron Dames. Now, she's been confirmed to be a development driver for the Mercedes F1 team for 2026. 

Asked to reflect on her time behind the wheel in both the all-female championship as well as her endurance racing, the young French racing driver explained how she's using this experience to prepare for her number one goal: to drive in F1. 

"I've learned so many things with the Iron Dames team,” she said. "I've been racing with them in endurance races and... in longer races you are working with a full team with strategy people, with tyre people and engineers and so on,” Pin continued. “And it's very intense as well, but very good for learning.”

This exposure has been a purposeful move on her part to develop her for what she hopes lies ahead of her.

"I think we were waiting this time to switch to single-seater because my dream is Formula 1,” Pin confirmed. “So that's why we did it at the right time when Mercedes came with me."

This coming season, Pin will be attending a number of grands prix as she supports the Brackley outfit in her new role. While her exact responsibilities have yet to be defined by the team, she will be assisting with simulator work as well as in the factory. On top of this, she'll be using her own experience at the top of the F1 Academy drivers' standings to help Mercedes' 2026 Academy lineup. 

Doriane Pin, PREMA Racing

"We are delighted to announce that Doriane will step up to the role of Development Driver in 2026," Mercedes representative Bradley Lord said in a release. "In her two years within our F1 ACADEMY team, she combined dedication, speed, and race-craft with strong technical feedback and engineering knowledge - culminating in her championship success last season.

“These skills are vital to progress up the motorsport ladder and this new role will help Doriane continue to grow and develop as a driver on her motorsport journey. Her success in F1 ACADEMY, and the opportunity the series presents, has prepared her well for this next step and we're excited to see her tackle it alongside a soon-to-be-announced racing programme."

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