Last week, Doriane Pin became the first woman to drive the Mercedes F1 car. The French driver is the reigning F1 Academy champion and a Development Driver for the Mercedes team. Speaking of her experience, Pin said: “It was the best day of my life.”
Pin completed 76 laps around Silverstone
On April 17th at Silverstone, Pin jumped into the F1 2021 Mercedes W12 and completed 76 laps at the iconic track. The impressive racer took to the circuit after extensive preparation in the simulator and with the Mercedes team.
“I didn’t want to get out at the end; I was really sad when it was all over. The next day I texted my engineer and said: ‘when can we go out again?!’
“From the moment I jumped into the cockpit, there was just a silence in my mind, I was just focused on the moment.
“Then the tyres blankets came off, and it all became so real. As soon as I got out on track, I was just like, ‘wow!.
“I just wanted to fully enjoy the moment, stay in the zone and stay present.”
Pin: “You can achieve anything”
While most racers dream of driving a Formula 1 car, Pin became the first woman to live that dream behind the wheel of the Mercedes. All her hard work marks a major step for women in motorsport. As the climb for female drivers is an uphill battle, Pin showed that perseverance and diligence lead to success.
“It was the final run on the Softs, when we really pushed, and I could start to feel that F1 was so alive for me in that moment,”
“The night before I slept absolutely fine, like a baby. The night after was a nightmare! I could still hear the engine and couldn’t stop thinking about being behind the wheel.
“I didn’t sleep at all.”
The special moment goes down in both Formula 1 history and Pin’s memory. Hopefully, Pin will be the first in a long line of women to test Mercedes Formula 1 cars.
“Everyone knows a woman in an F1 car is not common, but people also don’t know if a woman can drive an F1 car,” Pin said.
“But we can now conclude that no matter where you come from, no matter how you look, or who you are, you can drive an F1 car is you fully get ready for it.
“If you put 100% into motorsports you can achieve anything.
“I am proud to show that no matter the gender and no matter where you come from – even if you look very tiny – you can drive a Formula One car.”
Pin on adapting to the physicality of F1
The physical demands of Formula 1 are often believed to hinder women behind the wheel. The high G-forces, combined with the strength required, are believed to pose a possible challenge for women in F1. However, with her test of the Mercedes, Pin has proved that it is entirely possible for women to challenge these stereotypes. With the correct training and preparation, Pin had no problems with the physical aspects.
“I worked so hard at home with videos to make sure I was ready for the day, and I had a full day with my engineer to do the seat fit and talk through all the systems and the different procedures,”
“On the day when I got to the track I continued to take on board everything everyone was telling me as soon as I got to the track.
“Every time I got in the car, I was naturally improving, because I was understanding what my engineer was telling me.
“The G-Forces are a big shock to your neck, because that is the most demanding part, but your body must adapt. Physically I was fine.”
“My goal is obviously still to be racing in Formula 1, and be able to do more than TPC testing,”
“Having this opportunity would not have been possible without the help and support of Mercedes, it was just so amazing, so I will be forever thankful to everyone at the team for that.”
As her goal is still to be in F1, Pin would be an impressive driver to see on the future grid, driving for Mercedes.
