A Life on Track – Doriane’s Journey to F1 Academy

The 20-year-old French driver will represent the Mercedes F1 team in the all-female racing series this year, with the support of Prema Racing, with the ultimate goal to compete in Formula One.

“The category that getting me into motorsport was Formula One when I was young. So of course, I wanted to go in that direction one day when I get a chance,” Doriane said.

“Obviously I have high expectations. I want to win the F1 Academy championship. I think if we prepare well in the beginning of the season, we can be strong. And I think being with Mercedes will help me to make this step in the single-seater as good as possible,” she added.

Doriane’s early years were spent alongside her dad as he raced go-karts and worked in motorsport and despite some setbacks, she knew racing was what she wanted to do.

“My dad was doing go-karts when he was younger and he was working in motorsport in go-karts, especially he was organising karting events for the company and I was with him on track since I was four or five,” she said.

“So obviously I was not driving, but I was taking pictures and stuff like that and watching the go-kart around the track. And obviously I wanted to try at seven, but I was too small.

“I was three years later than everyone else. So I had to wait two and a half year to get into a go-kart. So I played tennis for two years.

“As soon as I was able to drive a go-kart, I went into it and I said to my dad, ‘tennis is really good but I want to drive a go-kart now.’ And so he bought me a small mini-kart.”