Mercedes Formula 1 development driver Doriane Pin sets a five-year target to secure an F1 race seat by 2031, outlining the plan during a recent Mercedes interview.

The objective extends beyond personal advancement, with Pin positioning the bid as a marker for female participation at the highest level of motorsport.

Pin’s credentials already include the 2025 F1 Academy championship, which preceded her move into Mercedes’ Brackley programme.

In early 2026, she became the first woman to drive a modern Mercedes F1 car, running the 2021 W12 during a Silverstone test.

At 22, Pin balances Mercedes duties with Peugeot development work in the World Endurance Championship and Citroën responsibilities in Formula E.

She also races LMP2 Pro-Am in the European Le Mans Series, underlining adaptability across prototypes and single-seaters.

Pathway credibility hinges on superlicence points and current single-seater results. Practice mileage and private testing will be decisive in building readiness.

Mercedes can lawfully expand her running through Testing of Previous Cars, as the 2021 W12 complies with FIA rules for cars at least two seasons old.

Securing competitive F2 or F1 feeder seats remains essential. The F1 Academy driver progression framework aims to bridge that step but cannot replace results on track.

Pin frames the goal within a broader inclusion drive, saying the sport needs more opportunities and representation. “Motorsport has been a male-dominated sport for a long time.”

Her trajectory follows notable recent milestones. Susie Wolff contested Williams practice sessions in 2014, while Jessica Hawkins tested Aston Martin’s AMR21 at the Hungaroring in 2023.

Those runs, and Pin’s Silverstone outing, illustrate a maturing pathway that still requires consistent funding, testing mileage, and robust junior results.

If progress holds, her 2031 horizon looks realistic within Mercedes’ planning cycles and potential customer-team opportunities.

It would also validate the F1 Academy ladder, from the 2025 season’s structure to its champion’s next steps, as charted in the timeline of the 2025 F1 Academy.

Pin’s focus remains clear: make Formula 1 attainable for women while delivering performance that justifies the seat.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.