Doriane Pin First Woman to Drive Mercedes F1 Car

Doriane Pin, the 22-year-old French champion of the 2025 F1 Academy series, made history on Saturday by completing her first Formula 1 test at Silverstone Circuit, becoming the first woman to drive a modern Mercedes F1 car.

Pin, who serves as a development driver for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, piloted the team's 2021-spec W12, the car that secured the constructors' championship that year under drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. Over the course of the day, she completed 76 laps on the Silverstone National layout, covering more than 200 kilometers as part of Mercedes' Testing of Previous Cars program. The session followed extensive simulator preparation, during which Pin integrated closely with the engineering team to adapt to the car's advanced aerodynamics and power unit.

The test marked a significant milestone in Pin's career, which has spanned both single-seaters and endurance racing. After joining Mercedes' driver development program in 2024, she won the F1 Academy title with PREMA Racing the following year, finishing ahead of competitors like Maya Weug. Pin also competes in the European Le Mans Series in LMP2, where she secured a class podium in the...