Doriane Pin returns to Le Mans - this time much more experienced
Doriane Pin returned to the prototypes after acting in monopolies. The French racer, who competes this year in the European Le Mans series behind the wheel of Oreca 07 team Duqueine, returns to the legendary Le Mans race in order to fight for the highest places in the particularly competitive category LMP2.
Dorian, who has been working with Richard Verschool and Giorgio Roda throughout the ELMS season, will join Julien Andlauer, whose experience is a valuable asset to the crew. While the team competes in the class Pro- Am European Championship, the arrival of the Porsche rider puts the crew in a different position for the classic in Sarth.
"We have a very strong team and a very strong crew on paper. I'm very glad to be back at Le Mans. It is one of the most legendary races in motorsport and one of those whose victory every rider dreams of," says Pin for endurance-info.com.
"LMP2 level is extremely high. Many teams have extensive experience in this competition and are fully focused on winning."
Three years after her first participation, which ended in resignation, the French also believe that she has taken a significant step forward in her development. Her experience with monopolies enabled her to expand her technical skills and improve her understanding of the behaviour of high-performance cars.
"I now feel more complete as a racer, especially at a technical level. I have more insight and can contribute more to the team's development and fine-tuning process. I expect a huge amount of tasks, even more than in 2023. My energy management will be extremely important. In 2023, I was a little overmotivated because I took part in the race for the first time. Now I know how to handle things a little better, and I'm a little more mature. But I also want to have fun, because as a racer, it's hard to participate in a 24-hour race. It is a privilege for a French woman to have such support and such a beautiful race in France. I'm going to use every moment to the fullest, because this is how the best performance is given when you're in the present. Every time I get in a car, I enjoy it as much as I can."
Although the race does not count in the overall ELMS standings, although it is true for the Hypercar and LMGT3 categories, the goal remains clear: maximize our chances of a good result.
"We want to fight for victory or at least place on the podium of winners. In a 24-hour race, you must know how to manage risks at the right time, but you cannot afford to miss anything."
The pilot is also in the position of reserve racer for Peugeot factory team in the category Hypercar. She also recently passed her first test in Formula 1 monopolies from 2021 with Mercedes. There Pin undergoes the role of development racer.