Mercedes celebrates Doriane Pin's F1 Academy championship with striking Brackley tribute

The Mercedes Formula 1 team has celebrated Doriane Pin's F1 Academy championship victory by putting up a billboard-style display at the team's headquarters in Brackley.

The team shared a video of Pin seeing the display for the first time. "SURPRISE! Celebrating Doriane Pin’s F1 Academy title in style at Lauda Drive," it wrote.

Pin arrived at Brackley to a warm welcome from the team and a standing ovation.

The French driver claimed the F1 Academy title during the season-ending round in Las Vegas. She finished the season with 172 points, 15 points over championship rival Maya Weug.

"It’s incredible to be crowned the F1 Academy champion. It feels so good to achieve this and sign off my time in the series in style," the 21-year-old explained.

"I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has helped make this happen and those who have been part of my journey since the start of my career.

"Ever since I joined the Mercedes Junior Driver Programme and Prema, it has been a brilliant experience. I have learned so much and grown as a driver and we are now all champions today!"

Doriane Pin

Photo by: Erik Junius

“Doriane’s story is great, I'm really happy for her,” team chief Toto Wolff added. “She was strong all season, and that is something to be proud of. I’m proud of Mercedes that we were able to achieve that with her.”

Pin has been part of the Mercedes Junior Team since 2024, when she entered her first season of the all-female racing series. She has previously competed in Formula 4 UAE, Formula 4 South East Asia, the FIA World Endurance Championship, European Le Mans Series and Ferrari Challenge Europe.

Winning the F1 Academy championship means that Pin will receive a sizeable prize fund for a seat elsewhere next season. While she isn't sure where her future lies at the moment, she is eager to stay with Mercedes.

"We can decide where we want to go," she told Goodwood. "We don't know yet where we are going because we finished the season in mid-November, so it's already late. We will, for sure, make some decisions in the next few weeks. The goal is hopefully staying with Mercedes, and we have a successful career together, and a long one."