F1 Academy champion Doriane Pin targets Mercedes race seat within five years

Doriane Pin, the 2025 F1 Academy champion and Mercedes development driver, has declared she expects to be racing in Formula 1 within five years — a target that would make her one of the very few women to compete in the modern-era championship.

The 22-year-old French driver made the statement during a Mercedes In Convo With Kids interview, responding without hesitation when asked where she sees herself in five years’ time. “In Formula 1,” she said. “That would be cool. It will open some doors to all the girls that want to be a Formula 1 driver.”

Pin’s trajectory has accelerated rapidly since she clinched the F1 Academy title. She subsequently signed as a Mercedes development driver and, in April 2026, became the first woman to drive a Mercedes F1 car when she tested the W12 — the team’s 2021 championship-winning chassis — at Silverstone.

Beyond her Mercedes obligations, Pin carries a demanding multi-series programme. She serves as a development driver for Peugeot in the World Endurance Championship and for Citroën in Formula E, while also competing in the Le Mans Prototype 2 Pro-Am class of the European Le Mans Series with the Duqueine Team.

Pin has been vocal about the need for greater diversity in motorsport. “Diversity, in general,” she said when asked what she would change about the world. “So in sports and outside of sports, I think we need more diversity — more opportunities for everyone. Especially with my experience in a male-dominated sport like motorsport. So it would be good if we had a lot of women also in Formula 1.”

Should she reach the grid, Pin would join a very short list of women who have driven modern-era F1 machinery. Susie Wolff — now F1 Academy managing director — participated in official free practice sessions for Williams in 2014, becoming the first woman involved in a grand prix weekend in 22 years. More recently, Aston Martin ambassador Jessica Hawkins completed a 26-lap test in the AMR21 at the Hungaroring in September 2023.

Pin’s combination of a factory development role, multi-discipline race mileage, and a clear public timeline marks her as the most credible female candidate for a full F1 seat in the sport’s current generation.