Doriane Pin stars on LMP2 return with hard-fought podium in ELMS Barcelona opener
- RACERS
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Doriane Pin made a sensational return to prototype racing by securing a podium in the LMP2 ProAm class after leading for much of the season-opening European Le Mans Series 4 Hours of Barcelona.
Doriane Pin enjoyed a spectacular return to sportscars at the 4 Hours of Barcelona, making a sensational return to prototype racing by securing a podium in the LMP2 ProAm class after leading for much of the race.
Back in LMP2 machinery for the first time since 2023, the 2025 F1 Academy champion immediately reaffirmed her credentials as a top endurance racer, combining great pace and racecraft in a fiercely competitive and incident-filled 4-hour contest.
Pin’s return to endurance racing follows a rapid rise through the single-seater ranks, where she claimed the 2025 F1 Academy title and earned a development role with the Mercedes-AMG Formula One Team. Prior to that, she had already impressed in prototypes and GT racing, including a strong rookie campaign in the FIA World Endurance Championship and victories in GT3 with the Iron Dames.
For 2026, Pin joined Duqueine Team’s LMP2 ProAm lineup alongside bronze driver Giorgio Roda and gold-rated Richard Verschoor. The trio quickly established themselves as class contenders, finishing third in class in the opening practice before Roda dominated qualifying.
Roda’s benchmark 1:30.332 lap in fact secured pole position in LMP2 ProAm by nearly a full second, putting the #30 Oreca in prime position for the race start.
Starting 11th overall and first in class, Roda’s opening stint was immediately disrupted by a major accident at Turns 1 and 2 involving several LMP2 and LMP3 entries, including Jonas Ried's Proton Competition, Georgios Kolovos' CLX Motorsport , the #17 CLX Motorsport's LMP3 of Lanchere and M Racing LMP3 of Nick Adcock, as well as the #4 DKR Engineering of Antti Rammo. The safety car was deployed before the race was red-flagged for almost 30 minutes.
When racing resumed, with the clock reset to 3 hours and 55 minutes, Roda retained the LMP2 ProAm lead and began to build a gap. He initially pulled out nearly two seconds over PJ Hyett in the #99 AO by TF Oreca, though Hyett briefly closed the margin using GT3 traffic.
Roda responded with consistent pace, stretching the gap to around four seconds while navigating increasingly busy traffic and even light rain conditions, with all teams opting to remain on slick tyres.
After 50 minutes, Roda pitted from the class lead, maintaining his advantage through a clean stop. However, his stint was not without drama: a tense battle with Paul Lafargue’s IDEC Sport Oreca saw Roda forced wide at Turn 3, allowing Hyett to briefly snatch the lead on lap 35.
Strategy soon played back into Duqueine’s hands, as Hyett pitted first and Roda stayed out to regain the lead before making his own stop just ahead of a Virtual Safety Car triggered by Lafargue’s crash at La Caixa.
Pin took over the #30 under caution, rejoining as LMP2 ProAm leader and ninth overall with 2 hours and 43 minutes remaining. The restart on lap 45 marked the beginning of one of the race’s highlight stints.
Immediately under pressure from platinum-rated Dane Cameron, Pin showed no hesitation. She defended decisively into the opening laps, cleared lapped traffic efficiently, and quickly established control of the class.
Her pace was exceptional; a 1:31.802 set the fastest lap in class at that stage, and she soon built a three-second margin, which continued to grow despite repeated interruptions.
A Full Course Yellow for an incident involving the Racing Spirit of Léman Aston Martin briefly neutralized the race, but Pin executed another strong restart and resumed extending her lead. Settling into a highly consistent rhythm in the low 1:32–1:33 range, she stretched her advantage to over 10 seconds by mid-race distance.
Further drama unfolded behind her when the #99 AO by TF car, her closest rival, was hit by the #28 IDEC Sport Oreca and spun into the gravel, promoting the #14 TDS Racing entry into second, now over 14 seconds adrift.
Pin used a subsequent Virtual Safety Car to pit on lap 70, taking fresh tyres before another Safety Car erased her hard-earned gap once more.
With 1 hour and 36 minutes remaining, Pin once again led the field at the restart and immediately rebuilt a four-second gap. However, the complexion of the race shifted as Malthe Jakobsen in the #20 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca began charging through the field with impressive pace.
Despite Pin’s continued consistency in the 1:32s, the gap began to shrink. A further Virtual Safety Car for a multi-car GT3 incident brought Jakobsen even closer, and on the restart, he capitalized on traffic to execute a decisive move around the outside at Turn 12, taking the class lead.
Pin remained within a second, maintaining relentless pressure and refusing to let the leader escape, before another brief Full Course Yellow interrupted the battle.
After an outstanding stint largely spent in the lead, Pin pitted with one hour remaining, handing over to Richard Verschoor.
Verschoor rejoined seventh overall but effectively second in class once pit cycles played out, as the Duqueine Team leapfrogged back ahead of Algarve Pro Racing. The final phase became a direct fight between Verschoor and Jakobsen, separated by just six tenths of a second after the final round of stops.
Verschoor however would need a final splash for fuel with 16 minutes to go and returned to the track still in contention for second. He crossed the line second in class after a hard-fought closing stint.
However, a post-race 10-second penalty for a Virtual Safety Car infringement proved costly, dropping the #30 Duqueine Team entry to third in LMP2 ProAm.
Despite the late penalty, the result marked an exceptional return to endurance racing for Pin. Her central stint showcased outright pace, consistency, and determination under pressure and was one of the highlights of the race - as Pin proved again to be one of the leading contenders in the LMP2 ProAm category.
Her performance was further recognized with the Goodyear Wingfoot Award for most valuable driver in class. With a podium secured and strong pace demonstrated across all three drivers, Duqueine Team leaves Barcelona as a clear championship contender.
The next round of the European Le Mans Series season takes place at 4 Hours of Le Castellet on 1–3 May, where Pin will compete on home soil. Having proven that her speed in prototypes remains razor-sharp despite her single-seater detour, she heads into the next race with good momentum and confidence.