Doriane Pin has enjoyed a strong start to her second and final season in the 2025 F1 Academy campaign. In 2024, she finished runner-up, narrowly missing out on the title behind Abbi Pulling’s dominant run of form. This year, she’ll be looking to build on her current success and carry that momentum into the second half of the season in pursuit of the championship. Pin is also a member of the Mercedes Driver Academy and currently competes for Prema Racing.
Successful weekend in China
Pin started her weekend on a high, topping the charts in Practice, and carried that momentum into Qualifying, where she secured P2, just 0.497 seconds behind rival Maya Weug. Drawing on her previous F1 Academy experience in Race 1, she capitalised on an incident between Alba Larsen and Emma Felbermayr to cross the line in P4.
In Race 2, Pin immediately applied pressure to Weug at the rolling start and, after a few corners, successfully claimed the lead. When a three-car collision triggered a safety car period, Pin managed the restart with composure, pulling away from the pack and securing her first win of the season. Pin left China with 31 points, and leading the 2025 F1 Academy drivers’ Championship.
Points trickle in for Saudi Arabia
Pin finished P3 in the Practice session in Saudi Arabia, showing early pace. Although she struggled at the start of Qualifying, she managed a late push to jump to P2 in the closing minutes. In Race 1, Pin started from P7 due to the reverse grid format for the top eight. From there, she applied pressure on the frontrunners and steadily worked her way through the pack to finish P4, just two seconds behind race winner Ella Lloyd.
In Race 2, Pin had a slow getaway, allowing Chloe Chambers to overtake her and drop her to P3. However, that position didn’t last long. A battle between Chambers and Weug resulted in both drivers running wide, giving Pin the opportunity to reclaim P2. Weug quickly tucked in behind her and eventually made a move stick down the straight and into Turn 1. From there, Pin ran the remainder of the race in P3, ultimately finishing 5.1 seconds behind Weug. Post-race, Weug was promoted to P1 after Chambers received a penalty for her earlier incident with Weug. Pin added 21 points to her tally, with 51 total points after Round 2.
Race 1 win in Miami
Pin had a strong start in Miami, leading the timesheet in the first practice session. She then dropped drastically in the second practice session, finishing in P7. In Qualifying, which was heavily affected by rain, Pin was ordered to push early, but her path was blocked by traffic, and she only finished P3.
With the reverse grid format for Race 1, Pin lined up in P6. At lights out, Lloyd misjudged her braking point and locked up, collecting Ferreira and Block in the process and triggering a yellow flag. On the restart, Pin quickly climbed to P2 and began pressuring Felbermayr, going wheel-to-wheel down the back straight. Felbermayr eventually cracked under pressure, locking up and opening the door for Pin to snatch the lead. She pulled away to claim victory in Race 1. Race 2 was cancelled due to severe weather on Sunday, but Pin’s win earned her 11 valuable points, bringing her total to 63 at the conclusion of the Miami round.
Maintaining the lead in Canada
Pin only crossed the line in P8 in Practice, due to being unfamiliar with the circuit in Canada. She made up places by the time Qualifying rolled around, crossing the finish line in P3, behind Chambers in P1 and Palmowski in P2.
Race 1 of the weekend, which was the rescheduled race from Miami, saw Pin slot into P3 at the start. After a collision involving Palmowski, Pin seized the opportunity to take the lead and held P1 until the race ended under safety car conditions.
Race 2 brought plenty of drama. Pin made a move on Lloyd for P3 but appeared to exceed track limits during the overtake. To avoid a penalty, she returned the position and ultimately crossed the line in P4, just missing out on the podium.
In Race 3, a series of incidents triggered three separate safety car periods. Despite the interruptions, Pin held her ground and secured P3 at the flag, which Chambers claiming P1.
What to expect for the rest of the season?
Pin only sits 20 points ahead of Chambers in P2, with 109 points. With 3 races left of the season, there are still ample opportunities for other drivers to challenge Pin in P1, particularly Chambers with 89 points and Weug with 72 points. Pin has set herself in a strong position heading into the second half of the season, but with tough competition, she will need to remain focused to ensure she keeps her lead.
