Doriane Pin appointed Mercedes AMG F1 Development Driver for 2026 season following F1 Academy title
- RACERS
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Fresh from securing the 2025 F1 Academy championship, Doriane Pin has been confirmed as the Mercedes AMG F1 Development Driver after two seasons within the team’s junior programme.
Fresh from securing the 2025 F1 Academy championship, Doriane Pin has been confirmed as the Mercedes AMG F1 Development Driver after two seasons within the team’s junior programme.
The 22-year-old French racer will take on increased responsibilities at the Brackley-based team, becoming part of the team’s group of development drivers working across simulator programmes, car development activities and a range of factory and trackside-based duties.
Pin will also attend selected Grands Prix throughout the 2026 season, where she will support and mentor the team’s new F1 Academy entrant, who is yet to be announced.
“I’m very proud and grateful to take on the role of Development Driver with the team,” Pin said.
“My two years as part of the Junior Programme have helped me grow as a driver and this is a fantastic next step in my career."
“I’m excited to keep working with everyone at Brackley and Brixworth and progressing toward future opportunities, both on and off track. I also want to say a big thank you to everyone at F1 Academy in helping me reach this position."
“As I continue my own journey in motorsport, I know there will be more incredible women following in my wheel tracks and I wish them all the very best of luck for the season ahead,” added Doriane.
Pin clinched the 2025 F1 Academy title in Las Vegas after a remarkable campaign featuring eight podiums and four wins, scoring points in every single race across her two-year stint in the all-female championship. She had finished runner-up in her rookie season in 2024, taking three victories.
Despite being relatively new to single-seaters, Pin is no stranger to major stages. Before switching to formula racing in 2024, she became Revelation of the Year in the FIA World Endurance Championship, earning podiums and fighting at the front of the LMP2 class. She has also excelled in GT3 racing, including being part of winning line-ups at the Spa 24 Hours and in the European Le Mans Series.
Her debut season in F4 machinery was equally impressive: Pin claimed four podiums and a win in F4 SEA, finishing second overall, and added another victory in the highly competitive F4 UAE championship. These early achievements laid the foundation for her entry into F1 Academy, where she joined the Mercedes-AMG Junior Programme and represented the Mercedes F1 Team with Prema Racing.
A long-time member of the Iron Dames project, Pin accumulated seven wins over two seasons in F1 Academy and secured the 2025 title. She also raced part-time in FRECA.
"We are delighted to announce that Doriane will step up to the role of Development Driver in 2026", Team Representative Bradley Lord said. “In her two years within our Junior Programme, it wasn't just her dedication, speed, and race-craft that shone through but her technical feedback, engineering nous, and ability to effectively work with senior personnel too."
In recent years, several women have been affiliated with F1 teams, often in development or ambassador roles. Jamie Chadwick and Lia Block have driven historic F1 machinery with Williams at Goodwood, while Abbi Pulling completed demo runs in Alpine F1 cars. The most recent woman to test a contemporary F1 car, also as part of her ambassador role, has been Jessica Hawkins in 2023 with Aston Martin.
Elevating female drivers into development or ambassadorial roles within F1 teams has, in recent times, been predominantly a performative move. Affiliated drivers have in fact rarely been supported in full-season programs in single seater championships beyond the level which they competed at when they were signed by the F1 team.
The question still remains as to what this position means for Doriane's personal, on-track program. Will Mercedes assist Pin in making the next step up the single seater ladder, or supporting her transition back to endurance racing?
Alongside her off-track role within Mercedes AMG F1 Team, Pin will in fact also combine her new position with a soon-to-be-announced racing programme.
