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Doriane Pin made history on Friday as she became the first female driver to get behind the wheel of a Mercedes F1 car.
The 2025 F1 Academy title-winner was rewarded with a TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) test in Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas’ 2021 Mercedes W12 following her championship feat last year, much to the delight of fans on social media.
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Doriane Pin becomes the first woman to drive a Mercedes F1 car 💪
The test took place at the Silverstone Circuit, the same race track that Hamilton took victory with the W12 during his heated title fight with Max Verstappen that year.
The seven-time F1 Academy race winner completed 76 laps of the iconic British circuit for a total of 200km of running, two-thirds of a full Grand Prix distance.
Fans react to Doriane Pin testing an F1 car for the very first time
After Mercedes’ announcement landed on social media this morning, fans were quick to share their joy for the 22-year-old finally getting behind the wheel of an F1 car.
One fan commented under Mercedes’ post on X (formerly Twitter) with, “Wow, what an epic moment. Looking forward to some video & stats!”
Another user detailed just how special the test is for the young Frenchwoman, replying, “That’s a special career moment.”
“From grinding in the juniors to touching an F1 car… that’s not luck, that’s work!” another fan commented, noting just how much hard work goes into getting a shot in a car from the pinnacle of single-seater motorsport.
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Unfortunately, other than the posts that Mercedes releases on social media, there is unlikely to be any real coverage of the event. Still, one user noted just how significant the test is, writing, “I need to see every second of Doriane driving that car. This is so important.”
One pointed towards Pin’s impressive record in GT categories, as well as her title feat last season, as a reason for why she’s so highly rated by Toto Wolff and co. They commented, “Makes sense.
“Doriane Pin is one of the best women drivers; she was up there with the men in GT and was also a clear champion in F1 Academy.”
Finally, another user noted just how deserved the drive was for Pin, posting, “She’s so lucky to get a run in this car. Life-defining moment, I’m sure. Well deserved!”
Doriane Pin reflects on her first experience in an F1 car
Mercedes’ official press release of the occasion detailed how the 22-year-old impressed engineers with her ‘pace, feedback, and technical understanding’.
“Driving an F1 car for the first time today was unreal,” Pin said of the outing. “I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity and to be surrounded by this incredible team.
“It was a unique opportunity and I made sure to enjoy my day to the fullest, along with doing the best job I could.
“Whilst being a female driver doesn’t define me, it was great to show what we can do. It was an extremely emotional day and I’m also thankful I was able to share this experience with my family.
“The W12 is obviously really different from the other cars I’ve been able to drive. Everything is different, bigger and more powerful. I am glad I was able to build confidence lap after lap and show what I was capable of.”
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