Doriane Pin secures back-to-back podiums, leads ELMS standings after 4H of Le Castellet
- RACERS
- May 4
- 5 min read
Doriane Pin secured her second consecutive class podium in ELMS after a superb charge from the back of the LMP2 ProAm field, executing an outstanding final stint to bring the #30 Duqueine Team Oreca back to third place at Le Castellet and moving into the class championship lead.
Doriane Pin secured her second consecutive class podium in the European Le Mans Series after a superb charge from the back of the LMP2 ProAm field. The French racing star executed an outstanding final stint to bring the #30 Duqueine Team Oreca back to third place at the 4 Hours of Le Castellet, moving into the class championship lead after two rounds.
Pin had already made a remarkable return to sportscar racing with a third-place class finish at the season opener in Barcelona, where she was among the fastest drivers in her category and claimed the Goodyear Wingfoot Award on her return to LMP2 machinery after 2023.
At the second round, her home race at Circuit Paul Ricard, she once again delivered a brilliant performance, emerging as one of the quickest drivers on track in the final stint, even among Gold and Platinum-rated competitors. The reigning F1 Academy champion brought the car back into podium contention after the team had been forced to start from last following a qualifying disqualification.
After Giorgio Roda secured pole position on Saturday, a technical infraction in fact led to the #30 car being disqualified, forcing Roda, Pin and Richard Verschoor into a recovery drive during Sunday’s four-hour race. Roda delivered a brilliant opening stint to carve through the field, before Verschoor maintained the team in contention during the middle phase. Pin then completed the comeback with a decisive final stint, guiding the Duqueine Team entry from seventh place back onto the podium.
The weekend immediately looked set for a competitive showing from the #30 crew. Roda, one of the benchmark Bronze drivers in the category, immediately set the pace by topping the Bronze test session at Paul Ricard, before the trio led FP2 with a 1:50.605.
In the LMP2 ProAm qualifying session, Roda once again delivered a commanding performance. His first timed lap, a 1:51.637, placed him on provisional pole by eight tenths. As the session evolved, rivals improved, but none could match his pace: Roda responded with a 1:51.066 to extend the gap to nearly a second over John Falb. In the final minutes, he dipped below the 1:51 barrier with a 1:50.735, before sealing pole position with a 1:50.386, half a second clear of PJ Hyett.
However, the team’s celebrations were cut short. Post-session scrutineering found “additional material fitted to the car,” leading to the disqualification of the #30 entry and forcing the Roda-Pin-Verschoor trio to start from the back of the LMP2 ProAm field.
Sunday’s race began under overcast skies, with an emotional tribute to Alex Zanardi on the grid.
Before the start, a stranded LMP3 car at Signes triggered an extra formation lap; when the race finally went green, Roda immediately launched a spectacular recovery drive from P12 in class. In a remarkable opening lap, he overtook Lentoudis, Møller, Jensen and Schneider to climb to seventh.
His momentum continued: on lap 6, he passed Horst Felbermayr for sixth, and one lap later overtook François Perrodo to move into fifth.
Roda then engaged in a fierce battle with Georgios Kolovos, with the pair trading positions over several corners. Although he briefly lost ground after using the escape road, penalties for cars ahead brought him back into contention, effectively battling for third.
An incident involving Bankcy’s Ferrari and Felbermayr’s Oreca, which also collected Custodio Toledo’s Ferrari at Le Beausset, triggered the first Full Course Yellow after 30 minutes. Roda pitted from fourth and rejoined sixth, before a full Safety Car neutralized the race.
After pit cycles, Roda found himself in third place. At the restart on lap 15, 40 minutes into the race, he immediately attacked Steven Thomas for second, as the field settled into a rhythm.
As the one-hour mark approached and pit stops began, Roda cycled into second when Thomas pitted, then inherited the class lead when PJ Hyett also stopped. His stint concluded on lap 30, when he pitted from the lead and handed over to Verschoor.
Richard Verschoor rejoined in ninth but immediately set about recovering ground. Although he briefly dropped behind Ferdinand Habsburg, Verschoor responded with the fastest lap in class in 1:51.298, showcasing the car’s pace.
He passed Enzo Trulli to move into ninth, then continued climbing, running eighth ahead of Hernandez and chasing Bolukbasi. As the race approached its halfway point, pit cycles again shuffled the order: Verschoor cycled as high as second before pitting on lap 53, rejoining sixth and quickly moving into fifth.
Maintaining a consistent rhythm, he gained further positions moving into fourth after passing Van Uitert and extended his stint while others pitted, cycling back into second place once more. His strong middle stint ensured the #30 remained in contention for the top five.
Verschoor finally pitted on lap 76 with 1 hour and 21 minutes remaining, handing over to Doriane Pin for the decisive final phase.
Pin rejoined eighth after the stop, but her race was immediately complicated by a caution: just after Duqueine’s pit stop under green, a loose wheel on the #74 Kessel Racing Ferrari triggered a Virtual Safety Car, followed by a full Safety Car, benefiting rivals who had yet to stop.
After the pit cycle and pass-around procedures, Pin was up to seventh. Racing resumed on lap 83 with one hour remaining, but she initially found herself stuck in traffic, including cars from other classes.
Undeterred, Pin began a masterclass in pace and consistency. She immediately set a 1:51.257, her team’s best lap, and continued to lap consistently in the 1:51 range. A brief Full Course Yellow for debris interrupted her rhythm, but once back to green with 40 minutes to go, she resumed her charge.
She climbed to sixth, then closed rapidly on Dane Cameron, reducing the gap to four seconds. Pin continued to improve: 1:51.212, then 1:51.039 - the fastest lap in class at that stage - moving into fifth as Huffaker pitted.
With 18 minutes remaining, Pin made her final fuel stop from fifth. Despite a slightly delayed restart, she rejoined sixth and immediately went back on the attack. On lap 106, she executed a bold move on Huffaker at Signes, using a superior exit from the chicane to complete the pass and take fifth place.
From there, Pin was unstoppable. A drive-through penalty for class leader Vaxivière elevated her to a virtual fourth place, while late drama saw Milesi pit from second with a technical issue.
In the final minutes, Pin was the only LMP2 ProAm driver consistently lapping in the low 1:51s, even as others faded. Taking the chequered flag fourth on track, Pin was promoted to third, securing a second consecutive podium after an extraordinary recovery drive.
With back-to-back third-place finishes, Pin, Roda and Verschoor now lead the LMP2 ProAm standings with 31 points after two rounds, in an impressive achievement given the adversity faced at Paul Ricard.
Pin’s final stint, in particular, stood out as one of the best drives of the race: competing directly against top-tier Gold and Platinum drivers, she was among the fastest on track and delivered when it mattered most.
The ELMS season will resume at Imola on July 5, but Pin’s next major challenge comes sooner: the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, where she will again compete in the LMP2 class with Duqueine Team.
