Doriane Pin didn’t just show up at Le Mans, she grabbed the spotlight and refused to give it back.
The 2025 F1 Academy champion and Mercedes-AMG development driver put France’s Duqueine Team on top of the LMP2 field Wednesday, first by leading opening practice and then by ripping off a pole-winning lap in qualifying. It’s a statement in a class where margins are thin, traffic is brutal, and a “perfect” lap can disappear the moment the race starts.
Pin’s pole came on the Circuit de la Sarthe, a 8.5-mile ribbon of public roads and racing pavement where tiny mistakes turn into big time losses. Now comes the hard part: turning one clean lap into 24 hours of survival.
Pin sets the tone early in opening practice
In the first three-hour practice session, Pin topped LMP2 with a 3:35.248 in the No. 30 Oreca 07-Gibson. She laid it down late in the session, when the track typically comes to drivers and teams start chasing a true benchmark.
Duqueine’s advantage wasn’t massive, but it was real. TDS Racing’s No. 14 ended the session 0.710 seconds back, with IDEC Sport further behind as other teams focused on long-run work rather than headline times.
Duqueine also logged volume, 33 laps on a circuit this long matters. At Le Mans, every trip around is a data grab: tire pressures, ride height, curb behavior, and how the car reacts when it’s stuck behind slower GT traffic.
A pole lap that reshuffles the LMP2 pecking order
Qualifying confirmed the practice pace wasn’t a fluke. Pin opened with a 3:36.127, quick enough to be safe if yellow flags or traffic ruined the session, then watched as Ian Aguilera briefly pushed CLX Motorsport’s No. 47 to the top.
Pin answered immediately. Her next flyer: 3:34.662, the best LMP2 time of the day and the lap that locked in pole.
That kind of time doesn’t come from bravery alone. It takes a car that stays planted through high-speed sections, lets a driver attack braking zones with confidence, and doesn’t get knocked off line by bumps, especially on a track that punishes even small instability.
Still, pole can be a trap at Le Mans. Qualifying is clean air, fresh tires, and a short window. The race is the opposite: long stints, shifting conditions, full-course cautions, and constant risk management in traffic.
Duqueine’s lineup: Verschoor and Andlauer back up the headline act
Duqueine isn’t leaning on Pin alone. She’s sharing the car with Richard Verschoor (Gold-rated) and Julien Andlauer (Platinum-rated), a driver-rating mix that matters in endurance racing because it shapes stint requirements and strategy options.
At Le Mans, the best trios don’t just have speed, they have consistency across driver changes. One driver can’t give away the race. Another has to handle the ugly stints: nighttime, heavy traffic, pressure after a caution, or a car that’s drifting out of balance as fuel burns off.
Pin’s résumé draws attention, but endurance racing demands a different skill set than single-seaters: tire management, patience in traffic, and the ability to repeat clean laps for hours. Pairing her with experienced teammates is less about hype and more about reducing weak links.
One of only two women in the field, and she’s leading the timesheets
Pin is also one of just two women listed across the entire Le Mans entry, alongside Lilou Wadoux. In a race that packs dozens of cars and a deep driver roster, that number underscores how narrow the pipeline still is.
But the bigger point Wednesday was performance. Pin wasn’t a feel-good storyline, she was the pace-setter in LMP2, topping practice and then delivering the pole lap.
That spotlight comes with a cost. More cameras. More interviews. Less downtime in a week where every minute is already scheduled, track walks, engineering debriefs, video review, recovery. The risk is mental and physical fatigue before the green flag even drops.
What Le Mans success could mean next, Hypercar whispers included
A pole in LMP2 at Le Mans can act like a career accelerant because this is the endurance race the whole world watches. In the paddock, that inevitably fuels talk about the next step: a move to the top Hypercar class, with Peugeot mentioned as one possible future landing spot.
Nothing is signed by a qualifying lap. Decision-makers look for discipline as much as speed, avoiding penalties, managing restarts, staying out of trouble in traffic, and making smart calls when the race turns into a chain of small crises.
The 94th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for June 10–14, 2026. If Pin and Duqueine want to turn pole into something historic, it won’t be about one more spectacular lap. It’ll be about restraint, lifting when it’s risky, giving up seconds to avoid contact, and staying calm while everyone else starts chasing.
Key Takeaways
- Doriane Pin topped LMP2 in FP1 with a 3:35.248 in Duqueine’s Oreca 07-Gibson.
- She took LMP2 pole in qualifying with a 3:34.662 after responding to CLX Motorsport.
- Duqueine is relying on the trio of Pin, Richard Verschoor, and Julien Andlauer to target a major result.
- Pin is one of two women announced on the entry list, along with Lilou Wadoux, while also fighting for the LMP2 win.
- The 2026 Le Mans performance is fueling prospects of a move up to Hypercar, with Peugeot mentioned.
Frequently Asked Questions
What lap time allowed Doriane Pin to take LMP2 pole at Le Mans 2026?
Doriane Pin set a 3:34.662 lap in the first LMP2 qualifying session, a time that stood as the benchmark of the day in her class and put her at the top.
With which team and which car is Doriane Pin competing in the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans?
She is entered with Duqueine Team in the No. 30 Oreca 07-Gibson, an LMP2 car that also topped FP1 with a 3:35.248.
Who are Doriane Pin’s teammates at Duqueine for Le Mans 2026?
Doriane Pin shares the car with Richard Verschoor, listed as Gold-rated, and Julien Andlauer, listed as Platinum-rated—a trio built to combine speed, consistency, and stint management.
Why doesn’t LMP2 pole guarantee a result at Le Mans?
Qualifying comes down to one clean lap on a clear track, while the race demands 24 hours of traffic, cautions, and tire and fuel management. In LMP2, a strategy setback or a traffic incident can wipe out the early advantage.
Is Doriane Pin one of the few women entered at Le Mans 2026?
Yes. She is presented as one of only two women in the entire field, alongside Lilou Wadoux, which adds attention to her performance while highlighting her competitive level.
Sources
- Formula Fusion – Doriane Pin has electrified the 2026 24…
- Doriane Pin tops practice and first qualifying at Le Mans
- Doriane Pin to contest the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans
- Doriane Pin will compete in the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans : r/f1Academy
- FP1: Doriane Pin Puts Duqueine Team ahead in First Practice at Le Mans
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