At five years old, Doriane Pin could have never imagined that she would one day be the woman leading the F1 Academy Championship. 

She wasn’t even big enough to be in a go-kart yet. But she shared a passion for F1 with her dad—a passion big enough to vault her into the F1 Academy lead 16 years later.

The French 21-year-old competes in the F1 Academy and the Formula Regional European Championship for Prema as part of the Mercedes Junior Team. F1 Academy is an all-female racing developmental series launched in 2023 by Formula 1, with the goal of promoting the presence of women in motorsport. It’s not only a championship, but also gives testing and developmental opportunities for athletes in order to get to the highest possible level. 

Pin, whose speedy performances with the Iron Dames earned her the nickname “the Pocket rocket,” showcased her experience and talent on the Circuit Zandvoort in the Netherlands, where she secured another podium after earning third position. The French rising star is currently leading the F1 Academy ranking with 120 points, ahead of Maya Weug, the 2024 F1 Champion (107 points), and Chloe Chambers (93 points). During an interview with The New York Times, Pin shared the story of her lifelong passion. 

“It’s a bit messy and a lot of things happen, so you must be very smart. We are working on it and then I’m sure it will progress during the second part of the season.”

Doriane Pin

The F1 academy rising star shared how she loved the track before she was even allowed on it.  Most drivers begin karting at six years old, but Pin had to wait until nine and a half because she was too small.

As soon as she could begin to drive in 2013, it was love at first turn. From the beginning she felt at home on the track, saying how she immediately loved “the vibration, the noise, the smell and the speed” of this unique sport. 

In 2022, Pin won the Ferrari Challenge Europe title, putting the F1 world on notice at just 18 years old. At the age of 21, she’s still not sure that she will be joining the F1 grid. But she's pushing her limits during training to reach that goal and hopes that the F1 Academy testing program will help her achieve this huge goal that she started to chase at just 13 years old. 

During an interview with F1 Academy Pin analyzed the importance of consistency in the sport stating “We saw it last year; consistency is a really strong point to have when you want to have a title. That’s a strong and positive part on my side.” 

Pin also highlighted the importance of being prepared for last minute changes and to surprises during the race. After months of testing it’s easy to be caught up in the idea that everything will go as planned. But Pin is well aware that during a race “it’s a bit messy and a lot of things happen, so you must be very smart. We are working on it and then I’m sure it will progress during the second part of the season.” 

After this podium Pin confirmed her experience and consistency, as she gets closer and closer to becoming the 2025 F1 Academy champion. With just two more races—Singapre and Las Vegas—before the end of the season, keep your eye on Pin and F1 academy to see who will be crowned champion.