Doriane Pin Joins Mercedes Junior Programme and Enters F1 Academy

Mercedes F1 team announced that Doriane Pin will join their junior program and enter the F1 Academy in the 2024 season.

Pin competed in the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship last year as her first experience in single-seaters and impressed everyone with her performances, claiming a race win and finishing P2 in the championship.

The Iron Dames racing program member is the first woman to win the coveted ‘Revelation of the Year’ Award after forays in the FIA World Endurance Championship for 2023. Pin was excited to race in the F1 Academy with the support of Prema Racing and in a statement released by Mercedes on their official website, she said:

“I am incredibly happy to join the Mercedes Junior Programme and to represent the team in F1 Academy this year with Prema Racing. A new chapter begins, and I am proud to make this next step in such a prestigious team and with the Iron Dames project."

She added:

“I am grateful for their trust and honored to race for their colors. Moving into single-seaters was a clear objective for my career, and to be in this environment is a great approach. I am working very hard to reach the top level of this sport and I cannot wait to go racing.”

Mercedes team boss extends his contract with the team

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff confirmed that following on from the conversations with co-owners Sir Jim Ratcliffe (of Ineos) and Ola Kallenius (of Mercedes-Benz), he would continue as the team boss until the 2026 season.

Speaking with the Daily Telegraph, Wolff said:

"I think the most important thing between the three of us is that we trust each other. At the end of the day, as a shareholder myself, I want the best return on investment. And the best return on investment is winning. I’m not going to try to hang on to a position that I think somebody is going to do better than me."

He added:

"I make sure that I have people around who can tell me otherwise. In the end, the three of us decided: ‘Let’s do it again’. I’m part of this team in various functions. I’m a co-shareholder. I’m on the board. These are things that will not change whatever executive, or non-executive, role I have.

Wolff has been pretty motivated since the end of the 2023 season, where the former World Champions finished P2 behind the mighty Red Bull, but crucially ahead of Ferrari. Only time will tell if the Austrian can lead the outfit to another championship in the near future.