Doriane Pin, the 2025 F1 Academy champion, completed a test with Mercedes in April 2026 and now views a seat in Formula 1 as a concrete goal rather than a distant dream.
The 22-year-old French driver, who joined the Mercedes Junior Team in 2024, drove the 2021 Mercedes W12 during the session. She became the first F1 Academy champion to test an F1 car and the first woman to test a Mercedes F1 machine. Pin described the experience positively and expressed hope that it would lead to further chances in the series, including a possible FP1 outing.