Dominant double-pole for Doriane Pin in F1 Academy season opener in Jeddah

Mercedes-AMG F1 junior driver Doriane Pin set a high bar in the first qualifying session of the F1 Academy season in Jeddah, taking pole for both races of the weekend.

“Sure it’s a double pole?” Pin checked with her engineer after the session, confirming she would start both races from the front of the grid.

“Yes, yes yes! Let’s go!” she said over the radio.

“The car was mega for the quali. Really good job, thank you.”

The 20-year-old PREMA Racing driver set the fastest lap of 2:03.472 around the Jeddah Corniche circuit, breaking the 2:05 barrier on her second attempt as she was chased down by rivals Abbi Pulling and Maya Weug.

The French driver was too fast for her competition, setting her fastest lap on the next attempt and guaranteeing pole for each race with her two fastest laps.

You have to hear it to believe it @DorianePin 🤩#F1Academy #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/Bm1MKpST1SMarch 7, 2024

Behind her it was Pulling who secured a front row start for each race, with Weug showing her pace but falling foul of track limits and having multiple laps scubbed from the time sheets.

A duel between the pair brought the session to life in the closing moments but it was Pulling who came out ahead, the Alpine driver crediting her experience on similar tracks for her advantage on the streets of Jeddah.

Pin, the 2022 European Ferrari Challenge champion and current WEC LMGT3 driver, has been on form at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, fastest in practice before dominating qualifying.

She has settled well into her position as part of Mercedes, visited by team principal Toto Wolff in the paddock before visiting the F1 garage with drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

She will lead the grid for race 1, underway at 11.10pm Friday (AEDT) with race 2 at 11.05 Saturday.

Watch every race of the F1 Academy season on Kayo Sports.