Doriane Pin has proved herself to be a highly impressive driver during her quest in F1 Academy. The Mercedes junior currently tops the driver standings in F1 Academy with 109 points.
As she made her return to F1 Academy this year, it was clear Pin was chasing victories, hoping to secure the title at the end of the season. After a two-month break, F1 Academy is back in action at the Dutch GP. With few rounds to go, and the challenge of Zandvoort this weekend, the French driver is ready to put up a fight to secure her spot on top.
Hopes for a repeat of last year’s Dutch GP
Last year, Pin was one of two winners around the challenging Zandvoort track. While Pin remains familiar with the Dutch circuit, her timings were not the greatest when F1 Academy completed their in-season testing earlier this year. The testing took course over a span of two days at the Zandvoort track earlier in July.
Despite this, the French driver will hope to put her best foot forward. When speaking ahead of the Dutch GP, Pin stated: “It’s good to have two days of testing before the month. We tested some items and we’re going to look at everything in the workshop, but it’s positive.”
“Obviously, doing some laps in Zandvoort is needed when it’s such a technical track. I’m quite happy about how it went, even if on paper it’s not showing that. I’m quite confident that we can still be competitive like last year here and have a good weekend.”
She continued on to explain: “We’ll have two Free Practices, so this is good, it’s not one. For sure, we have to be right in the action and good in the game straight away to not lose time. We will make sure we are 100% ready to fight for the top.”
Qualifying is key for Pin
While the year has been challenging for Pin, she remains on top of the standings, 20 points ahead of Chloe Chambers in second. With three victories secured so far this year, she hopes Zandvoort will add another win to her list of achievements. As the demanding track needs a level of precision and grit, Pin prepares herself to fight for more points.
The French driver expressed her belief in herself and the team, stating: “We are always at the top every time, fighting for victories and the podiums all the time. Some that I’m fighting with are a bit more inconsistent. We saw it last year, consistency is a really strong point to have when you want to have a title. That’s a strong and positive part on my side.
“The speed overall (means) we are quite competitive everywhere. Weakness is the reverse grids sometimes. Dealing with everyone around you and trying to be aggressive in coming to the front to try and score maximum points.
“But sometimes it’s a bit messy and a lot of things happen, so you have to be very smart. We are working on it and then I’m sure it will progress during the second part of the season. Zandvoort is not an easy track to overtake on, so Qualifying is key. The reverse grid will be fun, so we will work on it to be 100% ready.”
Pin appeared prepared for whatever this weekend throws at her. With experience, talent, and focus, she hopes to have a solid qualifying and even better race.
