Doriane Pin, the 2025 F1 Academy champion, has shared her impressions after her first test with a Formula 1 car from Mercedes, held at Silverstone. The French driver highlighted the significant differences between this single-seater and the vehicles she had driven previously, such as the cars from the F1 Academy, comparable to Formula 4, as well as the Ferrari 488 GTE from the Ferrari Challenge Europe.
Pin achieved two milestones during this test: she was the first champion of a women’s racing series to participate in an F1 test and the first woman to drive a Mercedes F1 car. After her victory in the championship, she was promoted to development driver for the Brackley team.
“It was an incredible day, honestly one of the best of my life. Driving a Formula 1 car is not something that happens very often,” she commented during the radio program. “I feel very lucky to have had this opportunity. I worked closely with the team throughout the day, continuously improving and enjoying this magnificent car around Silverstone.”
Pin expressed that the experience of driving an F1 is totally unique: “There is nothing comparable to Formula 1. I have driven in LMP2, with speeds exceeding 300 km/h, but the braking, combined downforce, and speed itself are from another world compared to what I have been able to experience so far.”
The driver also mentioned that preparation for the test was crucial to achieve good performance, feeling comfortable aboard the single-seater. “I had many surprises, even though we had prepared quite well,” Pin concluded, highlighting her previous work with the engineers and the team, which allowed her to fully enjoy the experience.”
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
