The Iron Dames and Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team, along with PREMA Racing have announced that 20-year-old French superstar Doriane Pin is set to compete in this year’s F1 Academy series.
This year the F1 Academy will see all ten F1 teams select drivers to represent them in the all-female single-seater category, designed as a platform to help female drivers progress up the junior ladder.
As part of her campaign in the F1 Academy, Pin has also been announced to be joining the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Junior programme.
Pin has already achieved much in her young career and is a leading light for female participation in motorsport, helped by her inclusion in the Iron Dames project, founded by Deborah Mayer to support women competing in racing.
Born in 2004, her career in karting began in 2013 and became French Champion six years later.
Since then her career has progressed to the Renault Clio Cup in 202o, which she used as a springboard to score several podiums in the GT3 category in the 2021 Le Mans Cup.
A Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Champion and 2022 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps class winner, Pin went on to contest the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship with PREMA in the LMP2 class, scoring a podium in Sebring and the Revelation of the Year award.
Pin has since gone on to compete successfully in single-seaters in preparation for her F1 Academy campaign, having recently finished runner-up in the Formula 4 South East Asia Drivers’ Championship after claiming a win, numerous podiums and the Rookie Cup title.
The French ace is also competing in the Formula 4 UAE series and scored two top-10 finishes in the opening round.
The seven-round F1 Academy series will see every race feature on the F1 support programme, beginning with the season-opener at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia.
Pin joins Aston Martin representative Tina Hausmann in the PREMA outfit and Team Principal Rene Roisin is delighted to have the French racer on board.
“We are absolutely thrilled to support Doriane’s 2024 challenge,” Rosin said.
“We were really impressed by her in our WEC campaign together and we are definitely looking forward to seeing her make even more progress in single-seaters.
“We think she has outstanding potential and that, with the support of the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Junior Programme, she will be able to fully use it to continue making strides in F1 Academy too.”
“I am incredibly happy to join the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Junior Programme and to represent the team in F1 Academy this year with Prema Racing,” Pin added.
“A new chapter begins, and I am proud to make this next step in such a prestigious team and with the Iron Dames project.
“I am grateful for their trust and honoured to race for their colours.
“Moving into single-seaters was a clear objective for my career, and to be in this environment is a great approach.
“I am working very hard to reach the top level of this sport and I cannot wait to go racing.”
Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team commented: “Doriane is an exciting talent and we’re pleased to begin our participation in F1 Academy with her as our chosen driver.
“We have kept a close eye on her development in recent years as she has consistently impressed.
“The fantastic support of Deborah Mayer and the Iron Dames organisation has enabled her to display her abilities to this point; she has taken full advantage of that opportunity with determination and skill.
“We now look forward to working in conjunction with Iron Dames, Prema Racing, and F1 Academy, to support Doriane as she takes the next step in her career.”
Deborah Mayer, Iron Dames Project Founder, added: “It’s extraordinary for a young woman of 20 to join the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, one of the most prestigious teams in Formula 1.
“Since her entry into the Iron Dames project in 2021, Doriane has been a demonstration of talent, determination, and exceptional maturity.
“Becoming a member of the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Junior Programme is a promising step in her young career.
“As F1 Academy has developed, lining-up for its second season promises to be an interesting challenge for her.
“This is also a wonderful and very positive symbol of the resonance and impact that the Iron Dames project can have in nurturing and blossoming talent.
“We are proud and delighted to be able to continue to support Doriane as she takes her dream as far as possible.”
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