Doriane Pin and the Future of Women in Motorsport

What do you think of when you hear motorsports like NASCAR and F1? Usually, you think of intense races, hundredths of thousandths of a second, and… the men in the car. Because, of course, men are the ones best suited to race. Yes. Totally. 

Obviously, we know that isn’t true. There have been multiple successful women NASCAR drivers throughout the years, and even though F1 is lacking in women’s representation, they’re in a better spot than they were 20 years ago. 

This is why Doriane Pin, 2025 F1 Academy champion and current Mercedes test driver, is such an important figure. Women have never been overly prominent in motorsports, but with her recent success behind the wheel, Pin is making a steady case for herself. Her driving has been impressive, and beyond that, she’s showing everyone that women can excel in motorsport, despite the lack of representation and encouragement.

Pin ahead of the 2025 F1 Academy season. Courtesy of autohebdof1.com

The 2025 F1 Academy Season 

Pin, a 22-years-old rom France, never imagined herself in the motorsports world growing up. Many drivers start out karting from a young age and work to leagues like F3 or F2 when they’re young, but for Pin, she didn’t even start karting until 2019 at the age of 15.

From there, no one could stop her. She finished the 2025 F1 Academy season with 172 points to fend off second-place Maya Weug and displayed a consistency all season that motorsports are known for. Despite never finishing in pole position, she completed every single race in the season and delivered critical wins to ensure her top spot on the podium each time they were required. Her resilience all season paid off and allowed her to clinch the title in the Las Vegas Grand Prix (GP), the finale of the season. Despite finishing 5th, her points were enough to clinch the 2025 title, a whopping 15 points ahead of Maya Weug. 

And her title meant more than simply receiving a trophy and bragging rights. Driving an afflicted with Mercedes also showed the F1 team what she was capable of; she and the many other women in the F1 Academy showed up consistently to every race, and were, once again, experienced and capable drivers. 

Pin after being crowned champion of the 2025 F1 Academy season. Courtesy of mercedesamgf1.com

Role With Mercedes

Formula 1 is an extremely technical sport, and there is so much more that goes into it beyond the car on the tracks and the driver in the seat. It is as much an engineering competition as it is a race. Pin clearly understands that side of the sport. After her 2025 F1 Academy season, she was named a Mercedes development driver for their F1 team. 

This essentially means that she spends a lot of time in the team's simulator, helping improve car performance and demonstrating to technicians what needs to be fixed or improved upon. She also contributes to the more technical side of the sport, helping to analyze data and refine car performance concepts. 

Pin posing with a Mercedes F1 car. Courtesy of mercedesamgf1.com

Women in Motorsport

But what does Pin’s involvement actually mean, away from her role as a whole with the team? 

Pin’s involvement with an F1 team is beyond exciting, but more than that, it provides a look into the future. Women have become more involved in motorsports: from technicians, engineers, to drivers, and Pin is only bringing attention to this growing statistic. We’ve seen growth in women’s sports everywhere with leagues like the PWHL or the WNBA, and though it’s not as prominent in motorsports, it is changing, and representation like Pin’s truly matters. 

We’ve all heard Jessica Campbell’s motto: "You can and you will. So, while there are no women F1 drivers now, anything is possible. And Pin is only proving to us that women in motorsports are a growing trend, and the representation and future are only going to get bigger and brighter. 

Edited by Olivia Feldgus