Doriane Pin delivered a composed and strategic performance at the Miami International Autodrome, converting her P6 starting position into a well-earned victory in Race 1. The Mercedes driver capitalised on early race incidents and maintained control under pressure to secure her second win of the season, holding off Alisha Palmowski’s consistent challenge.
The race began with Emma Felbermayr making a strong start from reverse grid pole, pulling ahead confidently. However, the opening lap soon saw its first incident when Rafaela Ferreira locked up into Turn 1, leaving her vulnerable. Ella Lloyd, attempting to make an early overtake, misjudged her braking and collided with the rear of Ferreira’s car. The contact resulted in immediate damage to Lloyd’s front wing, forcing her and Ferreira into early retirements. This incident prompted the deployment of the Safety Car.
Pin took advantage of the situation, moving into second place amid the reshuffling of the field. When the race resumed on Lap 3, Felbermayr initially held her lead, but Pin saw an opportunity soon after. She made a clean move down the inside of Felbermayr’s Kick Sauber, taking the lead as they approached the main straight. Felbermayr briefly regained the position with a measured overtake at Turn 1, but a mistake a lap later saw her lock up, run wide over the kerb, and damage her front nose. This allowed Pin to reclaim the lead for good, with several other drivers also passing Felbermayr as she dropped to sixth.
Behind the leaders, Palmowski steadily made her way through the field, eventually overtaking Aurelia Nobels to secure second place. The race’s second Safety Car period was triggered on Lap 8 following an incident involving Joanne Ciconte, Chloe Chong, and Nicole Havrda during a three-car battle. Chong made contact with Ciconte at Turn 11, resulting in both cars retiring from the race.
After the restart, Pin managed to maintain her lead, controlling the pace effectively despite Palmowski’s efforts to close the gap. Chloe Chambers moved into third place with a well-executed pass on Nobels, taking advantage of the racing line through Turns 11 and 12. Maya Weug also made a notable move, overtaking Nobels with a clean switchback, securing fourth position.
In the final laps, Lia Block attempted an overtake on her teammate but was forced wide, briefly gaining a position by leaving the track. Although she gave the place back during the race, she was later handed a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, demoting her from P5 to P10 in the final classification. This promoted Nina Gademan to fifth, with Nobels finishing sixth and earning her first points of the season. Tina Hausmann and Ferreira rounded out the points-scoring positions.
Following the race, penalties were announced for Lloyd and Chong due to their involvement in separate collisions. Lloyd received a three-place grid drop for causing the opening lap incident with Ferreira, while Chong was handed a similar penalty for her collision with Ciconte. As a result, Lloyd will start Race 2 from P7, with Chong moving from P14 to P17 on the grid.
Pin’s performance underlined her ability to stay composed and make decisive moves when opportunities arose. Her victory, along with the fastest lap, demonstrated both her speed and strategic awareness in a race marked by key overtakes and tactical decisions.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Chambers will be looking to deliver a win on home soil when she starts on pole for Race 2, which gets underway at 13:05 local time (UTC -4).