#63 PREMA RACING / Oreca 07 – Gibson – FIA WEC Official Prologue – Sebring International Raceway – Sebring – USA. Image: WEC
18-year-old French driver Doriane Pin told MotorsportWeek.com that she’s excited about making her debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
“I am really excited about this next step in my career,” she said.
“Driving in LMP2 with PREMA this year is a great opportunity for me. I can’t wait to make my first season in the FIA World Endurance Championship and to start working with such a strong team.”
While this may seem obvious, Pin is noteworthy because of her age and gender. She’s only 19, and as may be evident, is female — not the norm in racing circles. But, despite her youth, racing against drivers potentially double her age or more, the teenager is excited about the season ahead.
“The season promises to be exciting and challenging, can’t wait to fight for it,” she told MotorsportWeek.com in an email exchange.
Pin’s rise to one of motorsport premier series has been nothing short of meteoric. Just three years ago, aged 16, she made her debut in Renault Clio Cup France. The next year she graduated to the Le Mans Cup, racing in the GT3 class, along with occasional races in GT World Challenge and Ferrari Challenge Europe.
That same year, she started her association with Iron Lynx and the Iron Dames squad, the latter of which was formed to increase the participation of female drivers in motorsport and sportscars.
In 2022, though, Pin really stepped up, dominating Ferrari Challenge Europe — winning nine out of 14 races on the way to the title — and winning the European Le Mans Series season finale at Portimao.
Perhaps the biggest win of her career so far, though, was winning the Gold Cup class of the 2022 Spa 24 Hours, along with teammates and fellow Iron Dames, Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting, and Sarah Bovy.
For 2022, the French teenager has been picked up by Prema to race in the second of its two Oreca 07-Gibsons in LMP2, alongside Mirko Bortolotti and Daniil Kvyat. She previously drove a prototype for the first time at the Bahrain rookie test at the back end of last year, and while the times were not released, she must have impressed, as Prema hired her quickly for 2023.
Indeed, she got off to a flying start at the Prologue, setting not only her car’s fastest lap, but the third fastest lap in LMP2 overall, a 1:50.860, with only F1 race winner Robert Kubica and LMP2 veteran Filipe Albuquerque ahead of her.
“I’m really really happy about the prologue,” said Pin in a press statement issued by her team.
“I enjoyed every single moment and it feels so special to be here for my first official test. We worked very well since the beginning with the team and my teammates. The sensation is good, and we can say it was a productive test.
“We are there, the pace is competitive, and we look forward to the next week, my first LMP2 weekend. The Sebring track is amazing, and I cannot wait for the race,” she concluded.
Keyword: French teenager Pin ‘excited’ about WEC debut