Mercedes strike deal with biggest female talent in motorsport

In its first season, Mercedes is immediately one of the top contenders to deliver the winner of the F1 Academy in 2024. Indeed, the German team has secured the services of Doriane Pin, a 20-year-old top talent who caused a furore in the World Endurance Championship last year. Moreover, Pin has joined the Mercedes F1 Team's Junior Programme.

Pin is considered the greatest female talent in motorsport. For Italy's Prema, she drove alongside former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat and Mirko Bortolotti in 2023. The trio finished second in the LMP2 class at the 1000 miles of Sebring. A year earlier, she won the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps with the women's team Iron Dames in the Gold class.

Pin seemed to focus entirely on endurance racing for a long time, but will now enter single seaters after all. So in addition to her work in the UAE F4 Championship, she will drive for Mercedes in F1 Academy in 2024.

Pin looks forward to new challenge

"I am incredibly happy to join the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Junior Programme and to represent the team in F1 Academy this year with Prema Racing," Pin says. "A new chapter begins, and I am proud to make this next step in such a prestigious team and with the Iron Dames project. I am grateful for their trust and honoured to race for their colours. 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 principal Toto Wolff was also delighted: "Doriane is an exciting talent and we're pleased to begin our participation in F1 Academy with her as our chosen driver. We have kept a close eye on her development in recent years as she has consistently impressed. The fantastic support of Deborah Mayer and the Iron Dames organisation has enabled her to display her abilities to this point; she has taken full advantage of that opportunity with determination and skill. We now look forward to working in conjunction with Iron Dames, Prema Racing, and F1 Academy, to support Doriane as she takes the next step in her career."