Doriane Pin has a clear goal for the F1 Academy Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Photo by Manuel Eletto - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images F1 Academy driver Doriane Pin has a clear goal in mind as the grid heads to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Doriane Pin’s F1 Academy debut, at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, was an absolutely dominant performance. Until the second checkered flag. She secured pole position for both races in qualifying by more than half a second over Abbi Pulling, notched a lights-to-flag victory in the first race, and took the checkered flag in P1 in the second. But a miscommunication with her team saw Pin take the checkered flag twice at race speed. After an investigation — and the podium celebration — Pin was assessed a drive-through penalty for the infraction, which was converted to a 20-second penalty. That dropped her to P9, and promoted Pulling to victory. Now Pin is headed back to Jeddah for this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the second of the 2025 F1 Academy season, and the Mercedes-backed driver has a clear goal in mind: Qualifying up front. “We had a good strategy in Shanghai, even if it was a bit of a compromise on Saturday,” said Pin to the official F1 Academy website. “Jeddah will be different, there is a bit less wear on the tyres as it’s a street track. We’re going to see in Qualifying, but the aim is to put everything together in Quali and to be on the front row.” Having raced at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Pin has some experience on the tricky street course. But she knows that she will need to be up front if she wants to bank as many points as possible. “The key point of the weekend is always Qualifying, especially on a street track in Race 2 where you score (the most) points, you want to start in front. That’s the main target, to be competitive in Quali to be in front for Race 2,” stated Pin. “My target this weekend is to score as many points as possible, but obviously doing pole and the win, especially in Race 2 for the points. Also, to keep working on myself and improving every time I jump in the car. The reverse grid will be a really good way to work on myself and to improve in my racecraft and overtakes.” Something else that Pin is navigating this season is the reverse grid format, which F1 Academy instituted for the first race of each weekend, to promote opportunities for drivers across the field. Drivers that qualify in the top eight have their positions reversed for the first race, such that the driver that qualifies eighth will start up front, while the driver that takes pole position starts in P8. That is especially tricky in Jeddah, where overtaking comes at a premium. “The biggest challenge we’re going to face is the reverse grid,” Pin outlined. “It’s something new this year, so it’s a new challenge for everyone, but especially for the top-eight where it’s reversed. Jeddah is not as easy as Shanghai for overtakes so we have to be smart and to find a way to climb up and find good places to overtake.” Still, thanks to results at the Chinese Grand Prix Pin enters this weekend atop the F1 Academy Drivers’ Championship standings, with a five-point lead over Maya Weug thanks to her win in the second race in Shanghai, where the big points are handed out. Pin wants to keep the momentum going, with “good results” in Saudi Arabia. “Being on top of the Drivers’ Standings is great,” added the Mercedes driver. “We did a really good start to the season in Shanghai and I want to continue in that direction. Jeddah was very strong last year and I think we are able to do it again. “We were working hard during the three days of testing and I’m sure we are ready for the race weekend. I’m looking forward to it and I hope we’re going to bring good results to the team.”
F1 Academy driver Doriane Pin has a clear goal in mind as the grid heads to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Doriane Pin’s F1 Academy debut, at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, was an absolutely dominant performance.
Until the second checkered flag.
She secured pole position for both races in qualifying by more than half a second over Abbi Pulling, notched a lights-to-flag victory in the first race, and took the checkered flag in P1 in the second.
But a miscommunication with her team saw Pin take the checkered flag twice at race speed. After an investigation — and the podium celebration — Pin was assessed a drive-through penalty for the infraction, which was converted to a 20-second penalty. That dropped her to P9, and promoted Pulling to victory.
Now Pin is headed back to Jeddah for this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the second of the 2025 F1 Academy season, and the Mercedes-backed driver has a clear goal in mind: Qualifying up front.
“We had a good strategy in Shanghai, even if it was a bit of a compromise on Saturday,” said Pin to the official F1 Academy website. “Jeddah will be different, there is a bit less wear on the tyres as it’s a street track. We’re going to see in Qualifying, but the aim is to put everything together in Quali and to be on the front row.”
Having raced at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Pin has some experience on the tricky street course. But she knows that she will need to be up front if she wants to bank as many points as possible.
“The key point of the weekend is always Qualifying, especially on a street track in Race 2 where you score (the most) points, you want to start in front. That’s the main target, to be competitive in Quali to be in front for Race 2,” stated Pin.
“My target this weekend is to score as many points as possible, but obviously doing pole and the win, especially in Race 2 for the points. Also, to keep working on myself and improving every time I jump in the car. The reverse grid will be a really good way to work on myself and to improve in my racecraft and overtakes.”
Something else that Pin is navigating this season is the reverse grid format, which F1 Academy instituted for the first race of each weekend, to promote opportunities for drivers across the field. Drivers that qualify in the top eight have their positions reversed for the first race, such that the driver that qualifies eighth will start up front, while the driver that takes pole position starts in P8.
That is especially tricky in Jeddah, where overtaking comes at a premium.
“The biggest challenge we’re going to face is the reverse grid,” Pin outlined. “It’s something new this year, so it’s a new challenge for everyone, but especially for the top-eight where it’s reversed. Jeddah is not as easy as Shanghai for overtakes so we have to be smart and to find a way to climb up and find good places to overtake.”
Still, thanks to results at the Chinese Grand Prix Pin enters this weekend atop the F1 Academy Drivers’ Championship standings, with a five-point lead over Maya Weug thanks to her win in the second race in Shanghai, where the big points are handed out.
Pin wants to keep the momentum going, with “good results” in Saudi Arabia.
“Being on top of the Drivers’ Standings is great,” added the Mercedes driver. “We did a really good start to the season in Shanghai and I want to continue in that direction. Jeddah was very strong last year and I think we are able to do it again.
“We were working hard during the three days of testing and I’m sure we are ready for the race weekend. I’m looking forward to it and I hope we’re going to bring good results to the team.”
