Interview
‘We never gave up’ – Pin on her ‘unforgettable’ journey to being crowned the 2025 F1 ACADEMY Champion
Doriane Pin has been in the driving seat since Round 4 in Montreal, but the Mercedes driver finally sealed the 2025 title on the streets of Las Vegas.
However, the final race of her F1 ACADEMY career didn’t go all her own way, after fierce battles with Maya Weug and Alba Larsen saw her take the chequered flag in fifth. Yet it proved to be more than enough after her nearest rival Maya Weug finished third, handing her the title by 15 points.
After the disappointment of missing out on the title last season, the weight of her achievement was still dawning on Pin after the race.
“It’s amazing,” she began. “Champion is a beautiful word to really fit our season. We can be really proud of all the work we have done since last year. We never gave up, we worked so hard on winning races, winning the title.
“Since the very first time I got in a go-kart, I wanted to win every single race I competed in. I'm very happy about my entire journey, and obviously my journey with F1 ACADEMY has been unforgettable. I’m very proud of all of this, and now we can celebrate it."
Delivering four wins and eight podiums — although without a single pole position — Pin only needed to finish sixth or higher to guarantee the title. Nevertheless, the French racer fought hard but fair, particularly with title rival Weug.
Asked about her experience fighting against the Ferrari driver this season, Pin said: “Obviously it’s amazing to battle with an experienced driver, with someone who knows how to race. She’s talented and very much deserves her success this year.
“It was a close battle that I actually enjoyed a lot, because you need those drivers to push you and push each other to the top. We did exactly that so it was really positive.”
Throughout her two-season campaign, Pin has been buoyed by the support of Mercedes and PREMA Racing, who she helped defend their Teams’ title for the third consecutive campaign.
Congratulated by the likes of Team Principal Toto Wolff and Formula 1 drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in parc fermé, Pin thanked Mercedes for their unwavering support.
“Mercedes have been there from day one,” she said. “They are incredibly supportive of me every day, from bad days to good days. They bring professionalism, experience and performance into my racing career. It’s beautiful to achieve that together. Celebrating with them was a beautiful moment. I will remember it for my entire life.”