As the 2025 F1 Academy season reaches its decisive stages, French driver Doriane Pin finds herself at a significant crossroads in her career. With strong performances already behind her and the prospect of securing the championship still in sight, the 21-year-old is considering where her long-term path may lead. For many drivers, the dream of Formula 1 is the ultimate ambition. Yet, endurance racing — with its prestigious manufacturers and the rise of the hypercar category — offers another highly respected and increasingly competitive route.
Speaking to the media, including Pit Debrief, ahead Round 6 of the 2025 F1 Academy season at the 2025 Singapore GP, Pin reflected on both the challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead, making it clear that her career decisions will be shaped heavily by her results this year and by the guidance of her supporters.
Waiting on the final results
In response to a question by Pit Debrief, Pin admitted openly that much of her immediate future depends on how she finishes in the 2025 F1 Academy championship. She explained that success would naturally open more doors, while other outcomes might require more careful reflection.
“Yeah, actually, it depends on what we’re going to finish this year, to be honest. If we win the championship, good opportunities will be coming up. If we don’t, we don’t really know. So I don’t really have answers to be honest at the moment because there’s a lot of discussion going on. But as I said, it depends on the final result, so, we will see at the end of the year after Las Vegas.”
Formula 1 ambitions, endurance racing opportunities
Nevertheless, she was quick to stress that regardless of outcome, both single-seaters and endurance racing hold major appeal for her future.
“But both opportunities are amazing. I mean, obviously my ultimate goal is to reach Formula 1 one day. But I know there are also quite big opportunities in endurance racing and going to a manufacturer and maybe reaching hypercar one day. So, it’s also the top level of endurance, so, it’s clearly a way of my career that I want to reach and to go.”
While Formula 1 remains her clear dream, she acknowledged the reality that endurance racing has grown into a highly prestigious arena of its own. With hypercar programmes attracting major manufacturers such as Ferrari, Porsche, Toyota, and Peugeot, the route provides competitive drivers with a chance to fight for global recognition and career longevity. She summed up her position with a decisive perspective on the timing of her decision-making.
“So we’ll see. We have to obviously take a decision at the end of the year, but I will take the best one and the one that has definitely more opportunities to reach the top of motorsport.”
The influence of Mercedes and Iron Dames
Beyond personal ambition, Pin benefits from a strong support network. As a member of the Mercedes Junior Team, she receives the guidance of one of Formula 1’s most successful teams of the modern era. Additionally, her involvement with the pioneering Iron Dames project offers her valuable backing within endurance racing circles.
Asked whether Mercedes’ support for other young drivers, such as Andrea Kimi Antonelli, could signal a pathway into the single-seater ladder for her, Pin again linked the answer to her results in F1 Academy.
“Yeah, as I said, it depends [on] what I’m going to finish in the championship this year in F1 Academy. Because F1 Academy is then helping the driver that wins the championship to go to the next level. But as I said, we have [had] plenty of discussion and it’s not deciding next what we’re going to do next year in 2026 and what’s the goal in the next few years. So it all depends on the decision we’re going to take.”
However, Pin did not hesitate to reiterate where her personal ambitions lie, stating: “So obviously the thing that I want the most is to go to Formula 3 and then Formula 2 and Formula 1, but it’s not only me that decides and I have good people around me that support me, as I said, in Mercedes. They have plenty of experience. But [there is also] Iron Dames. So the decision has to be taken all together, but we’ll see how it goes.”
A pivotal moment
As she enters the final stages of the 2025 F1 Academy season, Pin finds herself at a pivotal stage in her racing career. On one hand, her sights are set firmly on Formula 1, a goal shared by countless drivers across the globe. On the other hand, she acknowledges the opportunities and unique prestige of endurance racing and the hypercar category, which has become one of the most competitive championships in the sport.
Regardless, as she herself acknowledged, the outcome of the current F1 Academy season will be central in shaping her decision. With powerful allies in Mercedes and Iron Dames, she has the support structure needed to make the measured choice that offers the greatest chance of reaching the very top of motorsport.
