Fresh off her F1 Academy championship, she lands a development role, fueling Mercedes' simulator and trackside performance.
Doriane Pin’s Accomplishments
Doriane Pin is a 22-year-old French driver for the Mercedes F1 Academy team. She was previously part of the Mercedes Junior Programme but has now officially graduated, moving to join Mercedes' official roster. She will now work alongside the rest of the Mercedes driver roster, using the simulators for development and participating in various activities both at the factory and on the track.
In her first season in the F1 Academy in 2024, she finished in second place in the championship, and in 2025, her second season, she became champion. She was the first-ever F1 Academy race winner, winning the season opener in 2024 in Jeddah. She would go on to amass three wins, five pole positions, and eight podiums over her two seasons.
Pin has expressed her excitement to take on this new role and take the next step in her career. She also thanked everyone at F1 Academy and highlighted the impact this can have on increasing the number of women in motorsport.
What is a Development Driver?
Development drivers are also sometimes known as test or reserve drivers, and their purpose is to help improve the car’s performance. They are important team members who work in simulators and work on testing new parts. They provide crucial data, test future setups, and train in the team’s system.
These drivers often bridge the gap between Formula One and the other series that lead up to it. Development drivers frequently come from Formula 2, but can also come from Formula 3 and F1 Academy. This role is mutually beneficial as teams get vital data, while the driver gains more experience in the sport they hope to continue their career in.
Simulator work is a key component of what development drivers do. They spend a lot of time on the simulator in the team's factory. There, they can test new components, setups, and software before bringing them to their primary drivers. These simulators can also correlate data with track performance, giving teams an idea of how their car may act at any track. The development driver also provides detailed feedback for the engineers to enhance car performance.
Development drivers are important because they can provide feedback on setups and ideas that the main drivers may not have time to address during a race weekend. They also give teams a chance to groom future talent by giving them the necessary experience and knowledge.