Mercedes star Doriane Pin lands F1 role for 2026 after dominant Academy triumph

F1 Academy champion Doriane Pin has landed a development driver role at Mercedes this season.

French driver Pin, 22, was part of Mercedes’s junior programme as she won the third season of the all-female championship last year, with four race victories to her name.

This year, Pin will be present at several grands prix throughout the year and will complete a host of simulator work at the factory and activities trackside.

Pin will also race in a series yet to be confirmed – the 2024 champion Abbi Pulling raced in the GB3 Championship last year and will do so again this year – and the French racer said on Wednesday night she is eyeing her first full F1 test later in the year.

“It’s a new role, a more important role within the F1 team,” she told Sky Sports News, ahead of collecting her F1 Academy trophy at the Autosport Awards in London.

“I will work on a few opportunities and a few things with the F1 team. Working on the simulator, as well, to prepare hopefully for a Formula One test in 2026.”

Pin took up karting in 2013 and claimed the Ferrari Challenge Europe title in cars as a teenager. She also raced in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) LMP2 category in 2023, finishing on the podium in Sebring. She focused on single-seaters at the start of the 2024 season.

Mercedes team representative Bradley Lord added: “In her two years within our F1 Academy team, she combined dedication, speed, and race-craft with strong technical feedback and engineering knowledge - culminating in her championship success last season.

"These skills are vital to progress up the motorsport ladder and this new role will help Doriane continue to grow and develop as a driver on her motorsport journey. Her success in F1 Academy, and the opportunity the series presents, has prepared her well for this next step and we're excited to see her tackle it alongside a soon-to-be-announced racing programme."

Mercedes are yet to announce their driver for the 2026 F1 Academy season, which starts in China on 14 March.