Pin and Bühler return to the podium in European Le Mans Series and Le Mans Cup in Barcelona

It was a silverware-laden weekend for F1 ACADEMY graduates Doriane Pin and Léna Bühler at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, who both podiumed on their return to the European Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup respectively.

Making her first ELMS appearance since 2022, Pin lined up in the LMP2 Pro/AM class with Duqueine Team. After teammate Giorgio Roda secured pole position for the #30 entry, the 2025 F1 ACADEMY Champion took control during the demanding mid race phase of the 4 Hours of Barcelona.

Navigating a stop-star race with multiple Safety Car periods, Pin emerged as the class leader following a Full Course Yellow restart. Handing the reins over to McLaren junior Richard Verschoor, the team sealed their first podium of the season in P3.

Pin’s performance did not go unnoticed, with fans voting the 22-year-old as the Goodyear Wingfoot Award winner for the outstanding driver in her category.

Bühler also celebrated a podium at the Spanish circuit, claiming third place in the Michelin Le Mans Cup. Entering her second season in LMP3, the Swiss racer once again demonstrated her racecraft, having already made history as the first woman to take an overall victory in the series last year.

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Sharing the #86 R-ace GP car, Bühler delivered a composed opening stint from the front row, retaining second place through three Safety Car restarts. Although the team slipped back a place in the final minutes, the result marked a promising start to the campaign for the 28-year-old.

Elsewhere, Amna Al Qubaisi recorded her first top-10 finish in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, crossing the line ninth in Race 2 at the Zhuhai International Circuit in China.

Meanwhile, Mathilda Paatz, Jade Jacquet and former F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE karter Ella Häkkinen were in action it the F4 CEZ Championship season opener at the Red Bull Ring. With a packed entry list, Qualifying was split into two Heats before drivers were separated into three groups for the opening three races, with only the top 32 overall eligible for the final race.

Paatz emerged as the strongest point-scorer of the trio, making up ground from 10th in her Heat to secure two top-10 finishes. McLaren junior Häkkinen enjoyed a strong single-seater debut, scoring points with a best result of P8 in Race 2, while Jacquet opened her account with a P12 finish in Race 3.