Interview
‘We keep it going until the end’ – Pin determined to recover from ‘disappointing’ loss in Singapore
Doriane Pin came agonisingly close to another win in Race 2 in Singapore before Maya Weug charged past to clinch victory on the last lap, setting the pair up for a remarkable duel in the campaign’s finale.
After missing out on pole position by just 0.042s to Weug, who also went on to secure a podium finish in Race 1 three places ahead of the Mercedes driver, Pin was ready to return to the top step for the first time since Montreal.
She executed a brilliant start at lights out and got the better of her Ferrari-backed rival, taking the lead as the pair headed into Turn 1. Pin went on to establish a gap of over two seconds back to Weug, putting her on course for a commanding victory.
However, the rain began to fall and the Safety Car was called after Nicole Havrda crashed out, closing up the field and leaving the final result to be decided on the last lap.
“The job that we had to do was to pass at Turn 1 – we passed at Turn 1,” Pin reflected. “We did the full job there.
“Obviously we had a really strong gap until the Safety Car. Even when it was raining mid-race, in Sector 2 we were very competitive. It was pretty exciting as well because in the rain when you have slick tyres, it’s a good feeling because you drive at your best and you manage the conditions and you have to adapt every lap because there is more or less rain.”
Neither Pin nor Weug chose to pit for wet tyres as there were only a few laps remaining when the rain began, but they both managed to get through the restart without any major issues.
But Pin’s control at the front of the field vanished when Weug boldly passed her on Lap 14, sending up spray before she went on to cross the line in first place.
The Mercedes driver summarised: “The Safety Car came in and the last lap was not good at all. It was pretty disappointing.
“It was full rain so on slick tyres on the street track with water that stays on the surface, with the white line crossing the track… it was very slippery for everyone. We missed out on the victory today.”
Nevertheless, she seemed far from ready to give up on the title battle as she still holds a nine-point advantage over Weug, stating that “we are leading the series so that means we are the best ones, right? We keep it going until the end.”