DORIANE PIN’s Make-or-Break F1 Academy Title Fight in Her Final Season

April 28, 2025

by Madeline Coleman // from www.nytimes.com

• DORIANE PIN enters her final F1 Academy season as a legitimate title contender after finishing runner-up in 2024 with three victories. The 21-year-old French driver, nicknamed “Pocket Rocket” during her Iron Dames sportscar days, has already claimed victory in Race 2 at Shanghai this season but sits behind in the standings after a third-place finish in Jeddah. With ten races remaining, this represents her last shot at an F1 Academy championship before moving up the single-seater ladder toward her ultimate Formula 1 dream.
• The Mercedes Junior Programme driver’s 2024 season showcased both her resilience and raw speed, but also highlighted the physical demands of racing at the highest levels. PIN broke five ribs while coughing in her cockpit at Spa, forcing her to withdraw from the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans and undergo a grueling recovery that prevented basic cardio training. Despite the setback occurring during a crucial mid-season stretch, she returned stronger and captured victories at Zandvoort and Qatar, proving that her “Pocket Rocket” reputation wasn’t just marketing.
• PIN’s journey from a budget-strapped karting family to Mercedes’ development program reads like a masterclass in perseverance and strategic risk-taking. When funding dried up in 2018, her family made an all-or-nothing bet on the 2019 French Karting Championship – a gamble that paid off with a title that launched her entire career. That championship victory led to opportunities with the Iron Dames, where she dominated GT racing with class wins at Portimão and Spa-Francorchamps, ultimately catching Mercedes’ attention and earning her current position on the F1 support ladder.
• While PIN acknowledges she’s “far from Formula One” and doesn’t know if reaching F1 is truly possible, she’s doubled down on the daily grind that got her this far. Now competing in both F1 Academy and Formula Regional European Championship, she’s using her final Academy season to prove she belongs in the next tier of single-seaters. Her advice to her younger self – to enjoy the journey rather than obsess over results – reflects a maturity that could be crucial in handling the pressure of this make-or-break championship fight.

all-female f1 academy, iron dames, mercedes junior programme, prema racing