George Russell and Kimi Antonelli welcome Doriane Pin at Mercedes: her official test debut
The reigning F1 Academy champion and Mercedes development driver Doriane Pin has made her official debut behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car, completing a test session at Silverstone. Welcomed by the team’s official drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, the 22-year-old French driver took to the track in the historic Mercedes W12 previously raced by Lewis Hamilton.
Doriane Pin got behind the wheel of the Mercedes W12, the same car driven by Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas during the 2021 Formula 1 season, and successfully completed her first official Formula 1 test session. “A very special day,” she said in a video shared on social media shortly before embarking on this milestone experience, as she was welcomed into the Mercedes garage by George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
It is a day she will remember forever, one that had already begun in a celebratory mood on social media. On the morning of Saturday, March 18, Doriane Pin marked what was a historic occasion both for her and for F1 Academy: for the very first time, she would drive a Formula 1 car during a test session organized by her team, Mercedes, at the Silverstone circuit in Great Britain.
Doriane Pin drives Hamilton’s W12: praise from Susie Wolff
Mercedes organized a private test for Pin, and for the 22-year-old French driver, the day quickly moved from anticipation to the perfect conclusion of a memorable experience. She drove the Mercedes W12, the same car that competed in the 2021 Formula 1 season with Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, and the last car to take Mercedes to the top of the Constructors’ Championship standings.
Pin also received praise from Susie Wolff, the managing director of the F1 Academy championship. With this test, the French driver became the first woman ever to drive a Mercedes Formula 1 car, marking another significant milestone in her rapidly progressing career.
Doriane Pin welcomed by Russell and Antonelli before Mercedes test
This landmark moment also featured the presence of Mercedes race drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, who joined Pin shortly before the start of her test session. A member of the Mercedes junior program since 2023, Doriane Pin has continued to stand out as one of the most promising young talents in motorsport.
Since December, she has also been working extensively on the simulator to further refine her skills, building on the success of last season when she secured the F1 Academy title at her second attempt. In the current season, Doriane Pin has returned to endurance racing, joining the European Le Mans Series with the Duqueine team. She has already secured a class podium in the opening race in Barcelona and is aiming to compete in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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