Pin sets the pace across Shanghai pre-season testing

Doriane Pin was the driver to beat across the three days of pre-season testing around the Shanghai International Circuit.

Ferrari’s Maya Weug was the quickest to get up to speed in the opening morning session as she began to familiarise herself with the Chinese track. However, she was pipped to the post in the afternoon, with Mercedes driver Pin clocking in 2:03.046 to finish less than a tenth ahead of the Dutch driver.

The pair continued their strong pace into Day 2’s running, with Weug finishing almost four tenths clear of the #28 PREMA Racing car. Day 3’s first session was closer fought, with the top three separated by less than a tenth. Chloe Chambers ultimately finished fastest of the pack on a 2:03.690 ahead of Emma Felbermayr and Weug.

The fifth and final session of testing was once again led by Weug, with Pin three tenths back in second. However, it would be Pin’s first afternoon effort that would remain the fastest time achieved at the test.

DAY 1, MORNING SESSION

Alpine’s Nina Gademan led a procession of cars out of the pitlane for their installation laps as the field began to get acquainted with their first race location of the 2025 campaign.

Weug would be the first to put a representative time on the board with a 2:04.554, which was quickly improved upon to a 2:04.438. Only 12 of the field set a time within the opening hour, with Ella Lloyd slotted into second for McLaren, four tenths back.

Midway through the second hour, Charlotte Tilbury -backed Chloe Chong went fastest on 2:04.213. However, it would be long before Weug was back on top, laying down three personal bests in four laps. Yet it would be her 2:03.680 that would remain unbeatable with over an hour left on the clock.

As the teams’ focuses shifted towards get mileage on the board, Hitech TGR were in a flurry of action as both Shanghai Wild Card driver Shi Wei and American Express’ Nicole Havrda kept themselves busy with 35 laps apiece.

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Chong rounded out the morning in second, half a second adrift of pace-setter Weug, whilst Tina Hausmann’s penultimate lap was enough to promote her into the top three ahead of PREMA teammate Pin. Chambers was the leading Campos Racing driver, completing the top five in the #14 Red Bull Ford car.

DAY 1, AFTERNOON SESSION

After a short lunch break, running resumed for the second three-hour session. Lia Block was one of the first to get a time down with a 2:05.258. Lap times steadily began to tumble and Pin, Weug, Lloyd and Chambers took their turns out front, before Palmowski posted the first sub-2:04 time of the afternoon before being jumped by her teammate Chambers.

Palmowski’s 2:03.554 saw her briefly regain the fastest lap of the day, but she couldn’t match Pin’s pace as the Mercedes junior improved to a 2:03.352. A follow-up push lap saw her find a further three tenths, which few drivers could touch inside the final hour.

That was until the last 10 minutes of the day’s running, in which Weug posted 2:03.145 to slide into second, only 0.099s adrift of Pin. Hausmann finished with the third-fastest time ahead of Felbermayr and Gademan.

2025 F1 ACADEMY, SHANGHAI PRE-SEASON TEST – DAY 1, MORNING SESSION

2025 F1 ACADEMY, SHANGHAI PRE-SEASON TEST – DAY 1, AFTERNOON SESSION

DAY 2, SESSION

The track action picked up early on in the second day’s sole block of running, with attentions focused on long-run race simulations. Weug set the initial pace with a 2:06.294 but was soon demoted to second by Pin’s 2:05.497.

The French racer continued to lower the benchmark by over a second across the first hour to a 2:04.296. Weug then took over the top of the order with a 2:04.019 and the MP Motorsport driver remained a firm fixture at the head of the timesheets for the remainder of running.

Eventually setting the pace at a 2:03.630 in the final 20 minutes of the day, Weug finished 0.387s clear of Pin in second. The joint-busiest driver of the day, Pin and her teammate Hausmann both clocked in 55 laps apiece, with all three PREMA drivers completing over 50 laps.

Chambers headed up Felbermayr in third, with both over half a second back from Weug, and Block completed the top-five times.

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2025 F1 ACADEMY, SHANGHAI PRE-SEASON TEST – DAY 2

DAY 3, MORNING SESSION

Weug was straight down to business in the early phase of Day 3, setting an early benchmark of a 2:04.520, 0.029s ahead of Palmowski. The Ferrari driver’s times continued to fall to a 2:03.785 at the close of the first hour, with Chong a tenth behind in second.

Felbermayr then dislodged Weug by only 0.001s at the top of the timesheets. The on-track action quietened down with the field all heading into the pits for a short break in running. Once the field returned to the track, Chambers got to work, posting a 2:03.690 to leapfrog the Kick Sauber driver by 0.094s.

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With teams varying their run plans, Chambers’ hold on the fastest effort remained firm by the end of the session. Felbermayr and Weug followed in second and third, ahead of Chong in fourth and Pin put in the fifth-best time for PREMA.

DAY 3, AFTERNOON SESSION

Gademan got the final three hours of testing in Shanghai underway, putting down an initial time of a 2:05.309. Block moved her Williams-liveried car up to P1 with a 2:04.835 inside the opening 20 minutes.

With her initial flying laps in the books, Block headed into the pits, whilst the rest of the grid set out to beat her time. Lloyd was the first to beat the benchmark, lowering it to 2:04.214. Chambers then recorded a 2:04.211 to take over the top spot by three thousandths.

Reaching over the midway mark, Felbermayr went quickest on a 2:04.168, but only briefly. Palmowski moved into the P1 spot with a 2:04.031 and track conditions continued to improve, with the Red Bull Racing driver entering the 2:03s.

As the final hour drew in, Pin’s consistent form continued as she put PREMA up to first by over a tenth, logging a 2:03.639. With 40 minutes left on the clock, Gademan elevated herself into third ahead of Chong.

Weug went within 0.142s of Pin to move into the top three, but the Ferrari driver still had time to find. However, her efforts would be interrupted following a brief Red Flag after Felbermayr stopped at Turn 14.

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Once the track was cleared, Weug took full advantage. Setting a 2:03.304, the #64 MP Motorsport driver topped her third session out of five, 0.335s ahead of Pin. Palmowski was third, with Gademan in fourth, whilst Block rounded out the top five for ART Grand Prix.

With 2025 pre-season testing complete, drivers and teams will now have a chance to dig through the data before they return to Shanghai for the opening round, which is set to take place on March 21-23.

2025 F1 ACADEMY, SHANGHAI PRE-SEASON TEST – DAY 3, MORNING SESSION

2025 F1 ACADEMY, SHANGHAI PRE-SEASON TEST – DAY 3, AFTERNOON SESSION